Heaps of History

An experiment

2011-01-18T11:10:00.011-05:00

History online

2011-01-17T10:47:00.003-05:00

1852 MAP of Marshall Township
1852 Map of Sangerfield Township
1852 MAP of Waterville
1874 MAP of Marshall Township
Aaron Stafford, Maj. Obituary
"An American Town" Sociological study, Williams 1907
"Back Home in Oneida" Herman Clarke's Civil War Letters 1966
Betrayal of Samson Occom, The, 1998
Brothertown Tribe, The - Will and Rudi Ottery, 1989
Campaigns of the One Hundred and Forty-Sixth Regiment, Genevie Brainard 1915
Candee Block; Fire and History 1982
CEMETERIES in Marshall and Sangerfield Townships (Cemeteries>township>cemetery)
Charles Terry, First in Seattle.
Churches - History of, by Norman Cowen
Civil War Monument
Days of Long Ago, A. O. Osborn, 1886
Forge Hollow Caves, 1937
Golf Club Opening 1901
Historic Triangle District. 1978
History of the Loomis Gang - N.Y. Sun - 1877.
History of Sangerfield, A. O. Osborn, 1886
Hop Industry, The - A. O. Osborn 1886.
Hop Extract Industry, The - M L. Peterson 1973
Kate Loftus Welch - T. Barnes 1996
Loomis Family, Norman Cowen's History of.
Loomis-Osborn Connection, The. PsBrown
Marshall Township, History of - Pomroy Jones, 1851
OBITUARY INDEX from the Waterville Times - R.F. Brown
Opera House History, Norman Cowen
Railroad Comes to Town, The - 1867
Reminscinces of Sangerfield - Abner Livermore 1851
Reuben Tower obituary 1899
Samson Occom and the Christian Indians of New England - Love, 1899
Sanger Lodge - Masonic Temple - 1950
Social Change in a Central NY Rural Community - Anderson - 1954
Tom Kindness, One of the Last of the Mohegans c.1905
Tower Family, The
Tower, Charlemagne I
Tower, Charlemagne Jr.
Town of Sangerfield, History of - Pomroy Jones 1851
Waterville in 1806, A. O. Osborn, 1876
William Cary Sanger, Col. Obituary
William Osborn(e)
Walking Tour of MAIN STREET 1971
Walking Tour of PUTNAM STREET 1971

1852 Map of SANGERFIELD

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1852 Map of WATERVILLE

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Waterville NY House Dating Project 1976 WHS

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Heaps of History: Walking Tour of PUTNAM STREET (1971?)

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Walking Tour of PUTNAM STREET (1971?)

Heaps of History: Walking Tour of Main Street - H. Barton, 1971?

2011-01-07T06:37:00.000-05:00

Heaps of History: Walking Tour of Main Street - H. Barton, 1971?

Walking Tour of PUTNAM STREET (1971?)

2011-01-07T06:24:00.001-05:00

Walking Tour of Main Street - H. Barton, 1971?

2011-01-07T06:15:00.000-05:00

Major AARON STAFFORD

2010-01-19T06:25:00.002-05:00

MAJ. AARON STAFFORD.

A VETERAN OFFICER OF 1812.

The Story of His Eventful Life - Rev. Dana Bigelow's Remarks - Long Life but a Point Compared With Eternity - His Coffin Enveloped in His Country's Flag.

Aaron Stafford of this village, was born March 18, 1787, and died the 6th of September, 1885. He was born and died on a Sunday; and was five months and twenty-nine days older than the federal constitution. He had resided in the town of Sangerfield 84 years, and lived 71 years in the house where he died. He was the last survivor of the soldiers of the war of 1812, who was known to have held an officer's commission; the last one before him having died about seven years ago. The first President he voted for was James Madison, and the last, Grover Cleveland. All the Presidents of the United States were inaugurated during his life time.

Mr. Stafford's funeral was attended from his late residence last Tuesday, and the services were performed by Rev. R.H. Nelson, Rector of Grace Church, and Rev. Dana W. Bigelow, pastor of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, of Utica. Mr. Bigelow ever since his boyhood had known Mr. Stafford personally, in whose character there was much that he admired. He delivered the following discourse on the occasion of his funeral:

But a few months since, a beloved grand-daughter, beautiful in youth, was borne from this house. Today, in the providence of God, we meet to bear to his last resting place the aged grandfather.

We had thought that Mr. Stafford might live to complete one hundred full years; and while he was enjoying a comfortable old age, in his own home, infirm but bright in mind, surrounded by those who ministered to his every want, we had earnestly hoped that this expectation might be realized. But an iron constitution yielded at last to bodily infirmities, and he who has been with this village from its settlement, and with this nation from before the day that its first President was inaugurated, has departed this life.

Can we speak of such life as a shadow? Yes, if we compare it with the life to come. We speak of this as long life, but a century has beginning and end, and the hereafter is eternity, the forever and ever. This measure of time is in truth but a point, and man at his best estate is as but a flower of the field. Our times are in the hands of One with whom a thousand years are as one day and one day as a thousand years. Shall we not then be again reminded that our days are as a shadow, and there is none abiding? Our days on earth are numbered, and though they be multiplied beyond those of any other person of our generation, yet they will be certainly and soon passed. Blessed be the Lord, our God, that He who has life and immortality, has given his own Son, that we may live by him. The Lord Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life, and if on earth we live by faith in Him, in love and obedience, death is but the beginning of time and endless life. We may ask for the blessing of long life, and rejoice if many days are gven us on earth where we may find so much to do and so much to enjoy, but let it be our first and chief thought that under Divine guidance, in following Christ, we may be prepared for the Father's house in Heaven, for life in the presence of the glorified Saviour, and for reunion there with loved ones who have been redeemed unto God, to his own possession and joy, world without end. If, however, we compare on hundred years with the time allotted to nearly all of any generation, how remarkable they appear as the period of one individual life.

When the last century closed, a boy of thirteen years enjoyed a pleasant home across the street from this house where we meet this afternoon. All this part of the village was then the Stafford farm, a place for work, and the field for many sports, for boys of that day loved sport and knew where to find it, as did other boys who followed after in other years. Perhaps it was the memory of his own boyhood that made him so lenient when a man, toward boys who in generation after generation found a playground in his pastures and orchards, and by the stream that wound its was so pleasantly beneath the trees and through the fields of his wide reaching farm. We were never closely watched, never ordered off from the frequented fishing and swimming places, from croquet grounds and training fields. Surely his boyhood must have taught him, that boys are boys and that their sports last none too long.

When 1812 came Aaron Stafford was no longer a boy, but a young man, twenty-five years of age, and ardent lover of his nation, which was of his own age, nearly, not quite. He enlisted for war at the time of his country's need, and proved his valor and spirit of self-sacrifice in conflicts that left him severely wounded. Henceforth he bore in his body the marks of his participation. He gave other proofs of this regard for the welfare of his country. He served the State at one time in the halls of legislation; and when a private citizen, he maintained an intense interest in our history. If he differed from others in judgement at any time, none had reason to question the depth, or the sincerity of his convictions. He was unwavering in his loyalty to his friends. Those who once esteemed him as a friend, found him ever the same, cheerful in spirit and warm in personal friendship. His kindness of heart toward all, made him a man well spoken of and esteemed by tahe whole community. Those who remember his not as an aged man, shut in and ministered to, but the man of strength and of affairs, will expecially affirm the truth of these statements. Another generation has grown to manhood, since Mr. Stafford was very active among the leaders of society.

But in his own home he was best known. He had a worthy wife, who became a dearly loved mother. Children were born, grew to manhood and womanhood, went forth to take their places in the world, with fond memories of the old home, to which they love often to return. They remember him as a father ever thoughtful of their happiness, ever deeply interested in their welfare. Most affectionate, and most grateful for every act of kindness, he appreciated all that was done for his comfort in old age. He lived to witness how great changes were made in this village and this nation, and what overturnings in the world. He lived until his appointed time was come; and after bearing trials in brave and patient spirit, he has passed from among us. His peaceful and pleasant face nay now be looked upon for the last time.

The pall bearers were J.A. Berrill, W.J. Bissell, G.H. Church, M.L. Conger, J.W. Hubbard, E.H. Lamb, A.O. Osborn, Geo. Putnam, F.H. Terry and Charlemange Tower.

The remains were interred in the Waterville Cemetery, near the center of the grounds; he is the oldest person ever buried there. The stone over the grave of his father, Ichabod Stafford, whose grave is in the southwest corner is the oldest stone in the cemetery.

The following interesting sketch was prepared by Aaron Stafford's grandson, Martin H. Stafford of New York:

Aaron Stafford, born March 18, 1787 at Cheshire, Mass., and died at Waterville, N.Y., Sept. 6, at the advanced age of 98 years, 5 months and 18 days, was the second son of Ichabod Stafford by his wife Humility, daughter of James Green, Jr., of Coventry, R.I., and the lineal descendant of Thomas Stafford, one of the colony that settled at Portsmouth and Newport, R.I., in the spring of 1638.

At the close of the Revolution, in which he with four of his brothers had served their country, Ichabod Stafford, with his brother William, and their families, moved from Coventry, R.I., to Lanesboro, Mass., in 1783, and they were soon followed by his father and other members of the Stafford family, and it was here that Aaron Stafford was born soon after Lanesboro was divided and the new town of Cheshire created.

Ichabod Stafford removed to Duanesburgh, N.Y., in 1788, where he resided until the summer of 1793, when with Joseph and Abraham Forbes, with their families, removed to what is now August, Oneida Co., N.Y., being the first white settlers of that town. In 1801 Mr. Stafford having purchased of Nathan Gurney, Bazerial Gurney, his son, and Bincas Owen, all their rights in lot No. 40, in the town of Sangerfield, and what is now the eastern portion of the village of Waterville, removed his family to his new home, and in the following year built a house upon the lot where now stands the residence of Mr. George Putnam. Here Mr. Stafford lived until his death, July 30, 1804. At his death he left a widow and a family of five chi in a new, but rappidly growing country, he had few of the advantages enjoyed by those who were members of older communities, but he improved the advantages that were presented, and few indeed were the boys of his time who could equal him in natural abilities, or who had improved their advantages better than he. At the death of his father he took the most active part in the management of the property that his father had left, at the same time not neglecting to improve his mind.

In 1801 his mother and the other children, of which Aaron Stafford was the third and then in his eighteenth year. Mr. Stafford left his family in comfortable circumstances and the farm was managed for several years by his widow, in which she was assisted by her two eldest sons, but Aaron in particular.

The early years of Aaron Stafford's life were passed much as the life of any boy in his station of life may be supposed to have been passed, without any particular event to distinguish it from those of his companions. The son of a pioneer the other children moved from the house his father had built to a new house they had erected on the opposite side of the road, and Mr. Stafford opened the old home as a public house, which he conducted successfully for two years, but the life was not in many respects pleasant to him and he closed it to devote his time to farming.

Mr. Stafford was engaged in farming when the war of 1812 called the country to arms. He was the first to enlist and call upon the young men of the vicinity to join him. He raised a small company of men, of which he was appointed ensign, and in May, 1812, went to Sacketts Harbor under Col. Marshall Bellinger in First Detachment N.Y. State Militia. When the three months had expired for which they had volunteered, he volunteered to remain and was in service twenty-four days before discharged, the service having been one of garrison duty.

Immediately on his return home he was visited by Major Maynard who, appreciating his ability and courage, offered him the position of adjutant of the 16th Reg. N.Y. Detached Militia commanded by Lieut. Col. Farrand Stranahan. He accepted and at once went to Albany, where he successfully passed the examination and received his commission. After procuring his uniform he joined his regiment at Winfield on Sept. 8, 1812, and the regiment soon after took up its march for the Niagara River and reached Niagara Falls the Friday before the battle of Queenstown Hights. He was soon after dispatched with a company to Buffalo to convey provisions to the army, and executed his difficult commission with so much skill and dispatch as to win the applause of his superior officers.

At sunrise on the morning of October 13, 1812, the main body of the army, under the command of Gen. Winfield Scott, commenced to cross the river, and Stafford was left in command of a detachment to cross after the main body had landed. He followed close after the main body, under fire of the British, landed and commenced to ascend the hights, but had not proceeded but a short distance before they were fired upon by a body of British and Indians, by which several were killed and wounded. Stafford was shot in the shoulder by an Indian, but still kept his horse and passed on at the head of his command, but was soon again shot in the thigh and fell from his horse. Several officers and men who saw him fall supposed him dead, but rushed to the spot to prevent him from being scalped by the Indians, among the number Capt. Felt, who helped to bind up his wounds and assisted to carry him down the hill. but the Americans had lost the day, being outnumbered, and all the wounded, with many others, were taken prisoners. Stafford, with many of the officers and men, were conducted to Ft. George, where they were confined as prisoners of war. Stafford's wounds proved severe and he suffered greatly from want of proper care and attenion, though Dr. Sumner, the British surgeon in charge, did all he could under the circumstances to alleviate the sufferings of those under his care, but particularly of Stafford, who he admired for his high spirit and patient endurance of his wounds, and here was the commencement of a warm personal friendship between them which was only broken by the death of Dr. Sumner many years after.

Stafford, with other officers and men, were paroled after a week's imprisonment, and Dec. 8 he hired a boat to take him across the Niagara River to Black Rock, but nearly lost his life through the blundering of the men who rowed the boat. After a long and painful journey he reached home on Christmas night in a very exhausted state of health, and weeks passed before he was even out of danger.

This terminated his military career, and though promoted to the rank of Major he did not recover from his wounds sufficiently to permit him to again enter the service until the war was over, much to his sorrow, as the martial spirit ran high in his character.

June 26, 1814, he married Harriet, daughter of Zeno Terry, who moved from Enfield, Conn., to Sangerfield, N.Y., being one of the first settlers of that town. He commenced his married life in the house which he had previously purchased from his brother Welcome, which he considerably enlarged and improved and made his residence the remainder of his life. Here he lived in great happiness with his wife for sixty-one years, until her death, April 5, 1875, and here their children were born. Lothrop P.; Mary, wife of Henry T. Utley of Waterville, N.Y.; Harriet, wife of William B. Stafford of New York; Marshall B., and Aaron Jackson. The eldest and youngest died several years before him.

Mr. Stafford was an active man in the community in which he lived, interesting himself in all measures for the advancement and improvement of the town, and though an active member of his political party, labored for its success from principles and not for political advancements. He was repeatedly urged to accept office, but only consented to the use of his name but once. That was in 1833, when the Democrats were very anxious to elect their legislative ticket in his District. The district had become close, and it was generally supposed that the Whigs would win it. Members of the legislature were elected on a general ticket at the time, and not by single districts, as at present, and Mr. Stafford was urged to gon on the ticket to strengthen it, as he was personally very popular with all classes. He accepted the nomination and the ticket was elected, greatly to the surprise of the Whig candidates, who felt so confident of their election that they had engaged their quarters at Albany in anticipation of their sure eleection. Mr. Stafford acquired considerable reputation for the share he had in the victory. Judge Pomeroy Jones of Westmoreland was associated with Mr. Stafford on this legislative ticket and was also elected. A long and sincere friendship existed between them, severed only by the death of Judge Jones about two years ago. Political life had no charms for him, and he took greater pleasure in contributing to a victory than being the recipient ofits fruits.

Mr. Stafford was a farmer, his whole active life being devoted to the cultivation of the soil, in which occupation he was successful, and his farm was one of the largest and best conducted in this section of the country. He and his brothers and sisters owned at one time all the land upon which the eastern portion of the village of Waterville is situated. Both sides of what is now Stafford avenue as far as the old Hooker road was once his farm and where are those yet living who can remember when there were very few houses on that avenue, except the house in which he lived and died, which was built in 1810 by his brother, and purchased by him in 1813, and which has undergone so many changes as to leave but little of the original design recognizable. It was here that he had lived for seventy-one years and died, and all his children were born. He had lived to see a prosperous and beautiful village grow up out of the wilderness, and be surrounded by more people than were to be found in the whole county when he came to it as a boy, for indeed there was no such county as Oneida then, or for several years after. Not a person is now living who remembers him as a boy, or young man; they have all passed away, and like the tall oak that has been spared by the woodman and stands alone, so stood he - the last survivor of the little colony in the wilderness, surrounded by a new generation and a new life. He was not only the oldest person in the town at the time of his death, but the oldest citizen, not only of this town but of any in this section of the state. That is, there is no one known to be living in the county of Oneida, or of Central New York, who came to it as early as he - 1793. He was also the last survivor of the soldiers of 1812 who was known to have held an officer's commission.

In person Mr. Stafford was five feet ten inches in height, of commanding figure, and like his father's family, possessed of great physical strength. In his younger days he carried himself erect, with dignified bearing, and was regarded as a man of prepossessing appearance. Amiable in disposition, of even temper, and proverbial for his kindness of heart, strict integrity and unimpeachable honor, he commanded the respect of all with whom he came in contact. He was very firm in his convictions and bold in expressing his opinions, which were never formed hastily, but after due reflection, and when once formed he held to them with great pertinacity. Deprived of the advantages of an early thorough education beyond what was furnished by the new country in which he lived, he endeavored to repair the deficiency by extensive reading, and few men were better informed, or could converse more intelligently on all subjects of general interest than he. His memory was remarkable, and it was astonishing even in the later years of his life to note with what accuracy he could relate events, accompanied by dates, which one would hardly suppose would have been remembered. Nothing that he had ever seen, heard or read, appears to have been forgotton or worn outof mind. This tenacious memory he inherited from his mother, who was quite as remarkable in this respect as himself. He might truly be said to have been a walking encyclodaedia of events during his life, and many were the disputed questions among his townsmen that were referred to him for decision, and the verdict accepted without dispute. He was never so happy as when entertaining his friends with reminiscences of the past or in conversing on favorite themes. Had Mr. Staffod inclined to public-life, his great popularity, energy and strength of character, combined with a tenacious memory, would have given him great advantages and placed him in high positons, but his modesty was quite equal to his other merits, while his ambtion appears to have flown in other channels.

Oneida Co. & Waterville in the Civil War - E. Kennedy

2009-10-03T08:34:00.000-04:00

Oneida County and Waterville in The Civil War

by Eric Kennedy

(formerly of Waterville, now Fredericksburg, VA)

Many Americans consider The Civil War ancient history. It’s not. The war ended 144 years ago. If you are middle aged or older, your grandparent’s grandparents were most likely alive during the war. The biggest threat our nation ever faced was not the World Wars or Cold War of the 20th century, or global terrorism of the 21st century, but the fratricidal war of the 19th century that threatened the very existence of the unique American democratic experiment. Could the world’s fledgling democracy survive an attempt by 11 of its states to form another country due to political differences?

More than 600,000 American soldiers died during The Civil War. Those numbers are even more staggering when you consider the fact that the population of the United States at the start of the war was 30 million, including four million slaves. It was a national catastrophe of the first order and it affected the lives of virtually everyone in the country who lived through it, including residents of Oneida County.

The rank-and-file of the Union Army were not professional soldiers, but civilian volunteers without military experience. To extinguish the rebellion, it was necessary to recruit hundreds of thousands of farmers and shop workers. Oneida County raised five infantry regiments of volunteers: 14th New York Infantry (First Oneida), 26th New York Infantry (Second Oneida or Utica Regiment), 97th New York Infantry (Third Oneida or Boonville Regiment), 117th New York Infantry (Fourth Oneida), and 146th New York Infantry (Fifth Oneida or Garrard’s Tigers). Oneida County’s contribution did not stop there as many joined regiments formed outside the county, including various cavalry and artillery regiments as well as other infantry regiments such as the 81st, 164th, and 189th New York Infantry regiments, among others.

Growing up in Waterville, I was unaware of all of this. My interest in researching The Civil War only began in earnest after I moved to the central Virginia town of Fredericksburg in 2002. Within easy driving distance of my front porch lie four major battlefields: Fredericksburg (December 1862), Chancellorsville (May 1863), the Wilderness (May 1864), and Spotsylvania Courthouse (May 1864). This is hallowed ground that the National Park Service labels “the bloodiest landscape in North America.” What moved me was to learn that so many residents of Oneida County fought and died on these fields so far from their native state. Many participated in heroic and gallant feats that were completely unknown to me. In the five Oneida County infantry regiments, seven Medals of Honor were awarded. The casualty lists alone demonstrate the contribution and sacrifice made by these brave men:

14th NY (“First Oneida”) 60 killed, 44 non-combat deaths, 194 wounded, 16 missing
26th NY (“Second Oneida”) 108 killed, 42 non-combat deaths, 243 wounded, 56 missing
97th NY (“Third Oneida”) 182 killed, 157 non-combat deaths, 444 wounded, 265 missing
117th NY (“Fourth Oneida”) 137 killed, 137 non-combat deaths, 291 wounded, 49 missing
146th NY (“Fifth Oneida”) 134 killed, 189 non-combat deaths, 180 wounded, 340 missing

Each regiment has its own story to tell, but the 146th New York or Fifth Oneida, has the closest connection to Waterville. For not only did many of its soldiers enlist in locations such as Sangerfield, Paris, Westmoreland, and many other surrounding towns, but the history of the regiment was written by a Waterville resident.

The Fifth Oneida was formed in the autumn of 1862 after President Lincoln called for 300,000 more volunteers to serve for three-year enlistments. By this time, the war had long ceased to be a romantic adventure, as attested to by the high casualty figures from such battles as Shiloh (24,000), the Seven Days (36,000), Second Bull Run (18,000), and Antietam (23,000). But so many volunteers came forward from Oneida County to form the 117th New York that it was decided that another regiment should be created in the 146th New York or Fifth Oneida.

The ten companies of the Fifth Oneida were principally recruited from the following towns:

Company A: Utica
Company B: Vernon, Rome, and Annsville
Company C: Utica, Rome, and Marcy
Company D: Boonville, Hawkinsville, Rome, and Whitestown
Company E: Camden, Augusta, Rome, Utica, and Marshall
Company F: Utica, Lee, Rome, Florence, Annsville, Ava, Marcy, and Whitestown
Company G: Clinton, Kirkland, Bridgewater, and Plainfield
Company H: Utica, Rome, and Sangerfield
Company I: Trenton, Remsen, Western, Westmoreland, Steuben, Lowell, Rome, Vernon, and Verona
Company K: Paris, Sangerfield, Clayville, Utica, Marcy, Clinton, Deansville, Marshall, and Whitesboro

It is important to note that where you enlisted did not always identify where you were from. For example, Alonzo I. King was born in Sangerfield. He was living in Oriskany Falls when he enlisted and died in Waterville after the war. But he signed up for military service in August 1862 in Utica or Whitestown.

The 146th New York was fortunate to have Colonel Kenner Garrard, a regular U.S. Army veteran and commandant at West Point, appointed regimental commander. Under Garrard’s tough but fair tutelage, the regiment became one of the best drilled and disciplined in the volunteer army. The Fifth Oneida soon to become known as “Garrard’s Tigers.”

The Fifth Oneida left Rome for Washington, DC in October 1862 with approximately 850 men. When the unit was mustered out of service on July 16, 1865, 264 were accounted for. Yet many of these men were not from the original 850 as several other regiments had been folded into the Fifth Oneida during the war including remnants of the 5th New York, 17th New York, and 44th New York. When the regiment paraded through Utica and formed up at Chancellor Square in late July 1865, only 120 were on hand.

The Fifth Oneida joined the Army of the Potomac in November 1862 and was present on the field during the Battle of Fredericksburg in December. However, its real baptism by fire came at Chancellorsville in May 1863, losing 50 men, but acquitting itself well.

At Gettysburg in July, as part of Brigadier General Stephen H. Weed’s brigade, the Fifth Oneida reinforced the defenses of Little Round Top, one of the most decisive actions on the entire field. When Weed was killed by a rebel sharpshooter, Colonel Garrard took command of the brigade. He was subsequently promoted and the leadership of the regiment fell upon Colonel David T. Jenkins (from Vernon). If you visit Little Round Top today, you will see a memorial to the Fifth Oneida, and the 28 men lost there.

The nadir for the regiment came during its gallant but futile charge at the Battle of the Wilderness in May 1864. The Wilderness was a horrific two-day slugfest fought in dense forest and underbrush. It represented the opening stages of Ulysses S. Grant’s “1864 Overland Campaign” designed to relentlessly apply pressure against the Army of Northern Virginia under Robert E. Lee. Amid the almost impenetrable forest, there was one 400 x 800 yard stretch of open ground called Saunders Field. Running through the field was one of the region’s few roads, the Orange Turnpike. Unwisely assuming that the Confederate presence was light on the opposite side of the field, senior leadership ordered a Union division to attack across the open ground. However, waiting in the trees, entrenched behind earthworks, were 10,000 rebel soldiers. As the opening wave of the Union attack was being slaughtered, the Fifth Oneida was ordered forward to help support the 140th New York Infantry (from Rochester). Colonel Jenkins instructed his regiment to fix bayonets and then personally led his 580 men forward at “the double quick.” Those of the Fifth Oneida who survived the charge found themselves virtually surrounded in the woods.

“Men ran to and fro, firing, shouting, stabbing with bayonets, beating each other with the butts of their guns,” wrote the regimental historian from Waterville. “Each man fought on his own resources, grimly and desperately…In such a place one cannot measure time very accurately. It may not have been more than five or ten minutes from the moment we charged across the field until we were forced to fall back, but during that brief time we inflicted and suffered a terrible loss. It would be impossible to recount all the deeds of individual bravery that transpired during those few minutes of terrific fighting. Many of the most heroic of our number perished in the conflict.”

The severely-wounded Jenkins (head and body wounds) was last seen leaning on his sword, encouraging his men forward. Lieutenant Alonzo King (Oriskany Falls) asked Lt. Colonel Henry Curran (Utica), “Where are all our men?” As Curran responded, “Dead,” Curran was shot in the head and killed. In all, the Fifth Oneida suffered 312 casualties in only minutes of actual fighting. Of those taken prisoner, more than 70 were to later die in Confederate captivity. The bodies of Jenkins and Curran, along with many of their comrades, were never recovered or identified.

But there was little time to mourn. In only a few days, the Fifth Oneida was back in action in another bloodbath at Spotsylvania Courthouse. Losses for the regiment were far lighter (16), but not for the Union and Confederate armies. In those two awful, back-to-back battles in May, the combined losses for both armies neared 60,000 men. Next came a grueling series of marches and engagements in May and June before the Union Army reached the outskirts of Petersburg, the lynchpin of the Confederate defenses for the rebel capitol of Richmond. The regiment lost another 55 men at Cold Harbor, 50 before Petersburg, and 45 at Weldon Railroad. And death not only came from the battlefield, but by disease, accidents, and captivity. A wound to the arm or leg often meant amputation.

From June 1864 to May 1865, there was a 10-month siege of Petersburg. The stalemate was finally broken at Five Forks on April 1st. At the forefront of the breakthrough assault was the Fifth Oneida. Losing 65 of their own men, the regiment captured hundreds of Confederate prisoners and two battle flags. One week later, Lee surrendered his Confederate Army to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse. For their efforts at Five Forks, three members of the Fifth Oneida were awarded Medals of Honor. These men were Colonel James Grindlay (the regimental commander after Jenkins was killed; Grindlay is buried in Forest Hill Cemetery), First Sergeant Thomas Murphy, and Private David Edwards. Edwards enlisted in Sangerfield and is buried in Waterville Cemetery. During the entire war, only 16 Medals of Honor were awarded to members of the Union V Corps, of which the Fifth Oneida was a part. Three of the medals belong to members of the Fifth Oneida.

Many of these old battlefields are preserved today by the National Park Service. Saunders Field is still there, a lonely little field surrounded by trees. It looks pretty much like it did 145 years ago. The Orange Turnpike is still there too, now asphalt rather than dirt. There is a canon, a small open-air exhibit center, and a two-mile walking tour through the woods where you can see remnants of the former Confederate and Union earthworks. While there is also a small marker for the 140th New York (Rochester), there is none for the 146th New York. Few come to visit. Let us not forget the Fifth Oneida’s sacrifice on this field, or any made by Oneida County on any Civil War battlefield, in this, the noblest of causes.

In an effort to humanize all of these facts and figures, let us take a brief look at the 19 men who enlisted in Sangerfield in August-September 1862 and who became members of the 146th New York Infantry. All except for one individual were members of Company H.

Private Frederick Baker: 24 years old. Captured at Mine Run, VA in November 1863 and released April 1865 from the infamous Andersonville Prison in Georgia, where 13,000 Union soldiers died in captivity in atrocious conditions. Survived the war and mustered out in June 1865.

Private Chester E. Burgett: 36 years old. Survived the war. Died in Waterville in April 1891 and buried in Waterville Cemetery.

Private John Burnham: 44 years old. Died in Falmouth, VA in December 1862, most likely of disease. Many Union soldiers died of disease in cold and unsanitary camps at Falmouth that winter.

Private Adam Cheesebrough: 28 years old. Wounded on March 31, 1865 at White Oak Road, VA only a week before the war ended; died on May 1st. Buried in Sangerfield Cemetery.

Private David Edwards: 22 years old. Awarded the Medal of Honor for capturing a Confederate battle flag at Five Forks, VA on April 1, 1865. Survived the war and mustered out in July 1865. Died in Waterville in April 1897 and buried in Waterville Cemetery.

Corporal John Edwards: 39 years old. Survived the war and mustered out in July 1865. Died in Waterville and buried in Waterville Cemetery.

Private James Gibson: 21 years old. Wounded in May 1864 at the Wilderness, VA; died in June.

Private William H. Hopkins: 28 years old. Died of disease in December 1862 at Falmouth, VA.

First Sergeant Charles L. King: 21 years old. Captured at the Wilderness, VA in May 1864 and released in February 1865. Survived the war and mustered out in July 1865.

Private David B. Lock(e): 26 years old. Became ill in July 1863 and was mustered out of the regiment. Buried in Sangerfield Cemetery.

Private Edward Morris: 30 years old. Captured at Weldon Railroad, VA in August 1864; died in captivity in January 1865 at Salisbury, NC.

Private Joseph Pennar: 41 years old. Captured at the Wilderness, VA in May 1864. No further record.

Private John Reekard: 38 years old. Wounded at the Wilderness, VA in May 1864; died two weeks later.

Private Charles Risley: 31 years old. Wounded at Petersburg, VA in June 1864; died in July.

Corporal Lucius S. Tooly: 28 years old. Wounded at the Wilderness, VA in May 1864; died in June.

Private Joseph Whalen: 21 years old. Captured at the Wilderness, VA in May 1864. Sent to Andersonville Prison; no further record.

Private Ira Wing: 32 years old. Received disability discharge in March 1863.

Private George W. Wright: 21 years old. Wounded in action and received a disability discharge in November 1864.

Private Rensselaer Wright: 31 years old. Survived the war and mustered out in July 1865.

There are also two interesting post-scripts in connection with the Fifth Oneida. First, the regiment was one of the most photographed units of the war. The reason being, after Chancellorsville, its uniform changed from the traditional dark blue Union jacket and kepi hat to Zouave attire. The flamboyant Zouave uniforms were based on French North African colonial troops, and the Fifth Oneida’s uniform specifically emulated the French Army’s Algerian sharpshooters. The new uniform was light blue in color with yellow trim, large baggy trousers, a red fez cap and sash, and white leggings and a turban. The distinct uniform stood out on the battlefield (which was not always a good thing), and the rank-and-file were proud to wear it.

Second, the history of the Fifth Oneida was written by a woman, Mary Genevie Green Brainard of Waterville. It’s an oddity today to see a military history written by a woman, let alone in 1915, when Brainard’s book was published. Brainard’s book, Campaigns of the 146th Regiment New York State Volunteers, was re-published in 2000 with many new photographs and is available from Schroeder Publications (http://www.civilwar-books.com/).

Sangerfield/Waterville History 1976

2009-09-14T16:21:00.000-04:00

SANGERFIELD

by Mary C. Cleary, Town Historian,
M. L. Peterson, Researcher,
Hilda R. Barton, Martin F. Cleary,
Sydney Erickson

The Town of Sangerfield, with the neighboring Town of Bridgewater, occupies the most southern portion of Oneida County. Its water supply attracted early settlers and its rich soil provided the basis for successful farming through the years.
U.S. Route 20 (east-west) intersects Route 12 (north-south) at the hamlet of Sangerfield, very near the site of the first dwelling built by Zerah Phelps in 1791 when he emigrated here from Massachusetts. The land then was owned by three land speculators, Michael Myers, John J. Morgan and Jedediah Sanger. Judge Sanger, anxious to have the area settled and named after him, promised a cask of rum for the first town meeting and 50 acres of land to the religious organization building the first church.
In the next few years settlers trickled in, and the population grew. The Town of Sangerfield was offlcially established on March 5,1795. The first town meeting was held on April 7, 1795, in Mr. Phelps' home. Records show that "after the meeting was opened, they voted to adjourn to the barn," no doubt to sample Judge Sanger's rum, which had been delivered as promised. Incidentally, the 50 acres were equally divided between the Congregationalists, who had the first organization, and the Baptists, who had the first church building.
The year following the first town meeting the tax rolls showed 85 taxable inhabitants who paid a total of $108.56 in taxes. The highest tax of $5.04 was paid by Benjamin White. From this inauspicious beginning the township has grown to include a population of 2475 in 1970. The 1976 budget was $206,000.
Settlement was encouraged by the Cherry Valley Tumpike, built in 1811 as an extension of the Great Westem Turnpike. Tumpike travel made the thriving community of Sangerfield Center the most important settlement in the township, temporarily outshining the Huddle, the name given to the collection of houses, mills and stores built on the banks of the Big Creek, and later named Waterville. Numerous tavems on the village green at the Center catered to the needs of the drovers who passed back and forth between Albany and Buffalo. When hay sold for $20 a ton, innkeepers charged $1 to keep a span of horses overnight, but when hay dropped to $10 a ton, the price dropped to 50 cents. These wagons progressed slowly up the hilly terrain, sometimes taking a week to haul freight from Sangerfield to Albany.
In those early days, the town also boasted its own newspaper, the Civil and Religious Intelligencer, founded in 1815. The name was later shortened to the Sangerfield Intelligencer, and then became the Sangerfield Intelligencer and Madison and Oneida Counties Gleaner in 1830. The paper's editor-publisher, Joseph Tenney, prided himself on his firm's efficient delivery of papers over sometimes dusty and sometimes muddy roads by a boy on horseback who loudly announced his coming with a blast of a horn. In 1856 the Waterville Times was established and is still published weekly in Waterville.
By the late 1820s Waterville's expanding industries began to outstrip those of Sangerfield Center. Earlier established gristmills and sawmills were joined by taverns, stores, a distillery, a tannery, a brewery, a cotton mill and a foundry. Contributions to Waterville's early growth were made by many families who came here from New England, and were mainly of English stock. Prominent names include the Tower brothers: Jeduthan, Justus, John and Jotham; Benjamin White, Amos Osborn, Sylvanus Dyer, and Amos Muzzey. (Jeduthan Tower was the great-grandfather of Charlemagne Tower Jr., lawyer, industrialist and U.S. Ambassador to Russia, Austria-Hungary, and Germany in the late 1800s.)
With the land cleared, houses built, and industries started, the people began to turn their attention to the educational needs of theirchildren. In 1815 the first public school was built on the corner of White Street and Academy (now Stafford Avenue South). Waterville Central School District was organized in 1928. The curriculum of this new school was expanded to include agriculture, shop, music and home economics; and the commercial and physical education departments were enlarged. The school had a separate auditorium, the gift of George Eastman, founder of the Eastman Kodak Company, who was born in Waterville. From 1930-1954 the student population doubled. A new open-space junior-senior high school was first used for graduation exercises in June of 1974.
By far the most important industry in the town has been farming. Farmers once raised their own grain for milling, fattened cattle and hogs for meat, and made their own butter and cheese. With the introduction of hops in 1830 these practices were largely abandoned. Hop growing reached its peak in the 1880s, although it continued well into the 1900s. Waterville became the main shipping point for hops, and the exchange center for hops in the United States. In 1882, when hops sold for the high price of $1 a pound, deposits in the National Bank of Waterville totaled three-quarters of a million dollars. Many people who did not grow hops made a living in numerous outshoots of this industry, such as the manufacture of hop presses, buying and selling hops, transporting hop pickers, drying or shipping hops.
In this time of prosperity, many farmers retired and built homes in Waterville. The village by this time had a thriving railroad, the Delaware, Lackawanna and Westem; a new residential street, Putnam Street; a new Opera House built in 1880; a new firehouse built in 1872 on White Street, several hotels, and a new public water supply. A public library system was begun in 1874.
The hop industry began to decline around the turn of the century due to: the high risk involved in fluctuating hop prices, depletion of the soil, increase in hop diseases and pests, and most important of all, growing competition from hop growers in Oregon and Washington. When this happened, farmers in this area began to return to dairy farming and added peas or beans as a cash crop. Peas were a major crop through the 1930s and 1940s, but declined after World War ll, and practically disappeared in the late 1960s. Broccoli, asparagus, Brussels sprouts, and snap beans have replaced peas as major cash crops in this locality. Efforts were made to revive the hop industry in the late 1930s and 1940s, but proved unsuccessful.
Potatoes are another important crop. Although the number of farms has declined in the past hundred years, the average size of farms has increased, a trend which is by no means confined to Sangerfield. Statistics compiled by the Oneida County Cooperative Extension Service showed the combined number of dairy cows in the Towns of Marshall and Sangerfield had risen from 2,606 in 1875 to 4,874 in 1964.
Another interesting industry in the township was brick and tile manufacturing. A brickyard was built by John Haven of Connecticut in 1812. At the height of its production, 12 men worked year-round. Brick and tile were shipped to many parts of the country. When Hamilton College was built in Clinton, brick was drawn by horse and wagon, 1,000 bricks to the load. Little mention can be found of this industry after World War 1.
An industry with a long history is the Buell Boot and Shoe Factory. At one time this industry employed 100 people, about 80 in the factory and 20 at the tannery. One of the fastest-selling items was a lumberman's boot which reached to the knee, and had two rows of wooden pegs in the sole, in between which the lumberjack could insert spikes to help him keep his footing on slippery logs. Most of the shoes and boots were shipped to the Midwest, which may or may not account for the story that the shoes worn by Abraham Lincoln at his inauguration as President in 1861 came from Waterville.
At the present time Waterville's largest employer is the Waterville Knitting Mills, Inc. which employs 200. Its most important product is sweaters. It is owned by Barclay Knitwear Corporation of New York City. This firm succeeded the Waterville Textile Mills, Inc. which had been established in 1922 by LeRoy Harding and Shelby Jarman in the former Buell Boot and Shoe Factory.
Smaller industries were the cheese box factory and the soap factory in Stockwell, a hamlet located in the southern part of the town. The cheese box factory was operated by members of the Benjamin Stetson family for over 150 years. Shoe boxes for the Buell Boot and Shoe Factory were made there, as were hop boxes.
An enterprising businessman, Charles Marsh, made shoe pegs for the Buells. He also made a hard white soap that would float, which he called Ivory Soap, which became very popular. However, he failed to have the name patented, and so he was forced to change the name to Ivy Soap. Years ago, the stencils for Ivy Soap wrappers were displayed in the window of the Waterville Times in Waterville.
Stockwell was first settled in the 1790s. Early settlers included Enos Stockwell and his wife Mary, John Berry and his family, and the Stetson family. Benjamin Stetson was a veteran of the Revolutionary War, and the father of ten children. The oldest, Joel, built a lumber mill.
Throughout Sangerfield's history, its church organizations have been a vital force. Following the organization of the Lisbon Congregational Society in Sangerfield Center in 1796, a church was built on the green by 18 members. In 1823 the First Presbyterian Church was organized in Waterville.
The Baptist chuch was begun in 1808 on a site near the present church on Main Street. The steeple of the first structure was finished on the day word was received the War of 1812 had ended. The people placed lighted candles in their windows, and a sailor climbed the steeple and placed a candle at the top. There was no wind, and the candle bumed to its base. The present brick church was erected in 1832.
Grace Episcopal Church had its beginnings in 1840. The first society of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Waterville dates back to 1835. Before 1850, when the first Catholic Church was built in Waterville, Catholics attended mass in private homes, the Berrill Foundry and the ballroom of the American Hotel.
No history of Sangerfield would be complete without mention of its most colorful and notorious family—the Loomis Gang of Nine Mile Swamp. The Loomis homestead overlooked the Nine Mile Swamp Road between Sangerfield Center and Heads Corners. Although this house has vanished, stories of the family's cunning and ruthless exploits are still remembered and rival the deeds of the legendary outlaws of the old West. Accused of arson, counterfeiting, horse stealing and other offenses, the Loomis brothers, Wash, Grove and Plumb, and other members of the family were always able to avoid the punishment of the law. Sheriff James L. Filkins proved to be their undoing when he led a raid on the Loomis home, accompanied by three young men, Cort Terry, Henry Bissell, and John Garvey. This raid on October 31, 1865, resulted in the death of Wash, and severe injuries to Grove. A second raid took place on June 16,1866, in which the house was looted and burned and Plumb hanged almost to the point of death to get him to reveal information. Plumb, who had several brushes with the law after this, stayed in the Waterville area, and enjoyed cussing matches with men he knew in the Waterville taverns, although he was not a heavy drinker. Plumb died of a heart condition in 1903. The last member of the family, Wheeler Loomis, was a prosperous and respected farmer in Canada.
In recent years, it appears that industry in the town of Sangerfield has come full circle with the building of two new feed mills— the Agway Regional Feed Mills in 1970, and Allied Mills, Inc. in 1973. The mills manufacture dairy and chicken feed from grain by-products. Another business, Wickes Building Supplies, was opened in 1960. This plant is one of 218 outlets of Wickes Corporation whose headquarters are in Saginaw, Michigan.
In 1969, Edward Hanna, now mayor of Utica, opened the Hanna Manufacturing Corporation in the former roller skating rink outside the village line on Stafford Avenue. In this factory, rope products are made, as well as cameras, photo chemicals and electronic units relating to photography. In 1971 a new 92-bed nursing home, the Harding Nursing Home, was built. Sangerfield's newest industry is Champion Home Builders Company of Dryden, Michigan, which opened a plant here in 1973.
There are numerous social, religious and civic organizations in the township. The Waterville Fire Department is probably the oldest organization in Waterville, dating back to 1829. The Volunteer Ambulance Corps was formed in 1971 to provide ambulance service to residents of southern Oneida and northern Madison Counties.
Today the Town of Sangerfield remains predominately rural, but is able to provide services generally found in more heavily populated areas. Its blend of diversified manufacturing, farming and farm-related industries provides the stability necessary for steady and continued growth.

SELECTED REFERENCE
Waterville, New York, Centennial History 1871-1971, (Waterville Centennial, 1971).

Sangerfield/Waterville History 1896

2009-09-14T16:17:00.000-04:00

The following information is from the book "Our County and its People" - a descriptive Work on Oneida County, New York as edited by Daniel E. Wager and published by the Boston History Company, 1896.

THE TOWN OF SANGERFIELD.

This is one of the two southernmost towns in Oneida county, and is bounded on the west and south by Madison county. It was formed from Paris March 5, 1795, and originally included what is now Bridgewater, which was set off March 24, 1797. Sangerfield remained a part of Chenango county until April 4, 1804. It includes a greater part of what was township No. 20 of the Chenango "Twenty Towns." The surface is mainly a hilly upland rising from 700 to 800 feet above the Mohawk. It is watered by the east branch of the Oriskany and the west branch of the Chenango Creeks. Along the latter stream is what is known as the Great Swamp, extending from near Waterville to the southern border of the town, and averaging a mile or more in width. Much of this has been cleared of its forest, drained, and converted into meadow. The soil of the valleys is a rich alluvium and on the hills is a gravelly loam. For many years this town has been noted for its large acreage of hops. In the year 1882 the price of hops exceeded a dollar a pound. While this brought comparative wealth to many of the inhabitants, it was in the main disastrous; producers thereafter based their calculations to a large extent upon a continuance of such prices, and when they were forced to sell in later years for a fraction of that sum, much financial distress was caused. It is stated that at one time there was only one farm in the town that was not to a greater or lesser extent devoted to hop growing. Under the depression and low prices of the past three years the acreage has been considerably reduced. The town has been noted for the proportionately large number of noted men in political, education and business life that have left its borders.
The town was surveyed under a law of February, 1789, and within the next two years it was purchased of the State upon speculation, chiefly by Jedediah Sanger (from whom it takes its name), Michael Myers, and John J. Morgan; large parts of it were subsequently leased in perpetuity. The price paid for the purchase was a little over three shilling per acre.

The first town meeting was held April 7, 1795, and the following officers elected:
Supervisor, David Morton; town clerk, Thomas Brown; assessors, Joseph Farwell, Daniel Brown, and Ezra Parker; constables and collectors, Jonathan Porter and David Chapin; overseers of the poor, Oliver Norton and Thomas Converse; commissioners of highways, Timothy White, Saul Smith, and Oliver Norton; pathmasters, Jonathan Palmer, Eldad Corbe, John W. Brown, James Kenny, Eri Brooks, Philip King, Asahel Hunt, Jesse Ives, Roger W. Steele, John Phillips, Thomas Stephens, Oliver Eagur, Zerah Phelps, Joel Blair, Solomon Williams, Benjamin White, John Stone, Joseph Putney, Moses Bush, Elias Montgomery, and Thomas Hale; fence-viewers, Ezra Parker, Joel Blair, Nathan Gurney, Uri Brooks, and David Norton, esq.
The first settlement in this town was begun by Zerah Phelps, who in the fall of 1791 sent a hired man to build a log house on lot 42, of which he had previously become the owner. this house stood about a mile northeast of Sangerfield Center. Mr. Phelps was from Greenwoods, Mass. About the 1st of March, 1792, Minivera Hale and his wife, and Nathan Gurney and his wife and babe moved in the town from New Hartford. They brought in oxen and the snow being very deep, their journey in some parts was a very difficult one. The were a whole day making the last four miles, driving the oxen tandem. Mr. Hale had bought land adjoining Mr. Philps, and Mr. Gurney bought lot 40, on the site of Waterville village; a part of this lot was later owned by Aaron Stafford. They passed a few weeks in the house of Mr. Phelps, until their own log dwellings could be erected. In the month of April following Benjamin White settled on a part of lots 30 and 40, the farm that was later occupied by Amos Osborn. A number of other pioneers came in that year. Phineas Owen and Nathan Gurney's father settled on lot 40; other arrivals were Sylvanus Dyer, Asahel Bellows, Nathaniel Ford, Henry Knowlton, Jonathan Stratton, and a Mr. Clark. Mr. Clark had aided in surveying the town in 1789. These settlers met with disaster the first year through a heavy frost which destroyed their corn crop, and also served to keep away other setters. According to the Jones Annals, Mr. Clark had his leg crushed by a falling tree in May, 1792, and Mr. Hale started in quest of a physician. He found Dr. Guiteau at Old Fort Schuyler, and returned with him over the long journey; but the doctor would not treat the injury without medical aid, and Dr. Petrie, at Herkimer, was sent for. These two, with Dr. Elmer, of Paris, amputated the injured limb. It was an example of the privation and danger under which many pioneers lived on account of their distance from medical aid and the absence of roads. In July, 1792, a daughter was born to Mr. and Mrs. Phelps, which was the first birth of a white child in town. The Phelps family soon removed to Batavia. The first male child born was a son of Mr. and Mrs. Hale, named Seneca, born January 20, 1793.
On February 9, 1793, Col. David Norton and his family arrived in town from Arlington, Vt., and be became a leading citizen. He was the first supervisor, the first justice of the peace, the first captain of militia in the town and later a colonel, and the first postmaster after the office was removed to the Center. He was foremost in all good works. His daughter Hannah married Sylvanus Dyer, which was the first wedding in the town; the date was October 30, 1793.
With better crops and prospects in 1793, the following year (1794) saw a considerable influx of settlers. Daniel Brown, Saul Smith, Thomas King, Daniel King, Solomon Williams, Samuel Williams, Justus and Ebenezer Hale, and Benjamin Dewey were among the new comers. In the same year the two Hales opened the first store in the town in their dwelling house, and were also the first to furnish accommodations to travelers. Ebenezer Hale built the second frame house in the town, Zera Phelps having erected the first one. In the summer of 1794 Polly Dyer taught the first school in Colonel Norton's house. In the following year the sum of the school money appropriated to this town by the Board of Supervisors of Herkimer county was forty-five pounds. Schools afterwards multiplied rapidly as their need was felt.

The town was named in honor of Col. Jedediah Sanger, as before stated, in return for which it is said that he agreed to present a cask of rum at the first town meeting and fifty acres of land to the first church denomination which should first build a house of worship. Many of the first settlers desired that the town should be called New Lisbon, and when Sangerfield was chosen they manifested their displeasure by applying the name of New Lisbon to the Congregational society which was organized soon afterward, thus securing Colonel Sanger's bounty for a church bearing the rejected title. The rum was duly presented and twenty-five acres of land each given to the Baptist and Congregational societies; these tracts were part of lot 45.
In September, 1796, Dr. Stephen Preston came into the town as the first resident physician. He practiced here more than thirty years and was also justice of the peace many years. Daniel Eells, sr., settled in that part of Sangerfield now included in Bridgewater in 1796, but in the following year removed to New Hartford.
In 1793 Judge Sanger built the first saw mill in town on the site of Waterville, and in the following year Benjamin White, the second settler at that place, built the second mill. In 1796 Mr. White built the first grist mill, long known as White's Mills. Other early settlers at Waterville are noticed a little further on.
Among the prominent farmers of past years were John Monroe, Delos Terry, Orin Kellogg, Philander Havens, Lyman Jewett, William C. Conger, Horace Locke, Jedediah Sanger and others. Other leading farmers are G.W. Allen, John C. Mason, C.B. Mason, Charles H. Jewett, S.A. Clark, W. Cary Sanger, Walter J. Bennett, C.L. Terry, and Charles G. Havens.
Waterville village is situated on the northern line of the town about one fourth of its territory extending into the town of Marshall. It early gave indications of becoming an active business center. The mills which have been mentioned as in operation there before the beginning of the present century drew around them other manufactures, stores were opened and progress was rapid. The settlement of Sylvanus Dyer was made in 1799, when he came from the Center and opened the first store in a house at the west end of the village and also kept a tavern. Two men named Brown and Hewett, who had kept a store on the road to Oriskany Falls, opened a store here in 1801, and Robert Benedict established the third one soon afterward.
Amos Osborn came from Fairfield county, Conn., to Waterville in 1802 and built the first distillery in the place near White's Mills. He purchased Mr. White's farm in 1810, for which he paid $30 an acre; he afterwards bought a second farm near by, paying nine gallons of gin per acre. Both of these farms were within the present limits of the village corporation, and Mr. White's house was the first frame dwelling erected in the village. Mr. Osborn operated his distillery thirteen years.
Justus Tower settled in Waterville in 1802 and built a house and a grist mill. In 1803 he built the White Mills and operated both. A freshet in April, 1804, carried away all the dams of the place, and Mr. Tower and John J. Williams jr., were drowned.

The Towers were from the town of Hingham, Plymouth county, Mass., and first located in the town of Paris. There were four brothers - Jeduthan (grandfather of Reuben and of Charlemagne Tower), Justus (father of Horace D. Tower), John and Jotham. John Tower was the father of John Tower, at one time proprietor of the Clinton House at Clinton. Jotham was the youngest of twelve children. Justus Tower was but thirty-seven years of age at the time of his death. He built a store in Waterville, and after his death Jotham Tower stocked it with goods, repaired the grist mill, which had been badly damaged by the freshet, and carried on both in company with Justus Tower's widow. Horace D. Tower, son of Justus, lived a long life in Waterville. His younger brother, Henry Tower, was for some years in the distilling business with J. and R. Bacon, merchants of the place, who purchased the stock of goods left by Justus Tower at his decease, and carried on the store for thirty years or more. (See biography of Reuben Tower in this volume).
The post-office at Waterville was established in 1806, with Amos Muzzy, postmaster; he was succeeded by Col, John Williams, under whose administration it was removed to the Center, a little over a mile southward; this was done in 1808 and the name changed to Sangerfield. It was brought back and opened under its present name in 1823. Previous to that time the place had been locally known as "The Huddle." In 1802 the settlement had thirty-two dwellings and about 200 inhabitants. From that time forward the village grew rapidly. A tannery was established very early by Col. John Williams, who was also an early tavern keeper. Chauncey Buell afterwards became his partner in the tannery and finally purchased it and began boot and shoemaking in connection with it. The business increased in later years and a firm was formed under the name of C. Buell, Son & Co., which employed at one period nearly 100 hands and sold goods at wholesale over a wide extent of territory. Colonel Williams, who started this tannery, also established an earlier one in the southwest part of the town.
Amos Osborn established a distillery in 1802, and several others were operated for a time in different parts of the town, but generally on a small scale. The one just mentioned was used in later years as the Cold Spring Brewery. The latter was operated until 1894 when it was abandoned.
The grist mill operated in recent years, was built by Jotham Tower about 1815 on the site of the White Mills. Justus Tower built another grist mill in 1802 which was transformed into a paint factory in 1869 by Terry & Gridley.
The Sangerfield cotton factory was built in 1816 by the Sangerfield Manufacturing Company. Henry B. Clarke afterwards obtained a controlling interest and operated it until 1830, when Goodwin & Bacon purchased it and changed it to a woolen factory. In 1837 J. A. Berrill took the building and established a foundry and machine shop, afterwards taking his son into partnership. They carried on the business many years. The plant was taken in 1895 by McLean & Co., who succeeded Brace Beardsley. Paint mills are made, in connection with the other business.
The Waterville Wooden Novelty Works were established in 1895, for the manufacture of various household articles.
Waterville has had several newspapers, the first one being the Civil and Religious Intelligencer, started in 1815 by Joseph Tenney; the name was changed in 1825 to the Sangerfield Intelligencer, and ten years later it was moved to Fabius, N.Y. The publication of the Oneida Standard was commenced in Waterville in 1833, but it was soon afterward removed to Utica. The Waterville Advertiser was begun in 1851 by R.W. Hathaway. In 1855 the Waterville Journal was started by A.P. Fuller & Co., C.B. Wilkinson, editor. It was discontinued in March, 1856. In 1857 the publication of the Waterville Times was commenced by McKibbin & Wilkinson, who continued it until 1860, and sold out to J.H. Yale. On November 8, 1866, the paper passed into the hands of R.S. Ballard. James J. Guernsey bought the establishment in 1870, and continued to July, 1881, when he was succeeded by Histed & Cutter (William L. Histed, Frank J. Cutter) who continued to June, 1882. Mr. Histed then retired and Mr. Cutter continued to April, 1887, when W.S. Hawkins & Co., (Dr. Claude Wilson) purchased the plant. This firm continued one year when Mr. Hawkins bought his partner's interest. In 1884 Patrick Loftus and Milton Barnum started a four page weekly called the Reflex. A little later W.S. Hawkins purchased the paper an in 1887 he consolidated the two papers, the name Waterville Times being continued. The papers is an excellent representative of progressive country journalism. The Waterville Y.M.C.A. is a thriving institution and publishes a small weekly called "Waterville's Young Men."
Some of the early public houses have been mentioned. What became the American hotel was built about 1815 by Jonathan Hubbard and was afterwards extended and improved. There were three public houses in the village before that. The store occupied in 1802 by Robert and Hudson Benedict was afterwards converted into a hotel and became known as the Park House. M.B. Crossett built the Commercial House in 1875.
The first bank in Waterville was established in 1838 under the State law and was changed to a national bank in 1865. Among early stockholders of the old bank were Stanton Park, Josiah Bacon, Amos Osborn, Julius Candee, Samuel Goodwin, D.B. Goodwin, Charlemagne Tower, Julius Tower, David L. Barton, E.B. Barton, Henry Tower, Horace Bigelow, Isaac Hovey. Daniel B. Goodwin was president of the national bank until 1888 when he was succeeded by William B. Goodwin. The latter was cashier until the above change was made, when he was succeeded by Samuel W. Goodwin. William B. Goodwin served as president until 1894, when Samuel W. Goodwin was chosen, and W.L. Race was made cashier.
Charles Green & Son established a private bank in 1872, and in 1875 it was removed to Utica and continued until 1884. The firm was then changed to Charles Green, Son & Co., O.W. Kennedy and J.W. Hayes joining in the business. In 1891 the bank was removed back to Waterville, and the firm became Charles Green, Son, Brainard & Co., through the purchase of the interest of Mr. Hayes by I.D. Brainard.
Waterville was incorporated April 20, 1870, and at the first charter election Daniel B. Goodwin was elected president; E.H. Lambe, George Putnam, E.S. Peck, trustees; Horace P. Bigelow, treasurer. The successive presidents of the village have been George Putnam, elected 1872; held the office to 1877; D. Snith Bennett, 1878; Reuben Tower, to 1883; E.C. Terry, 1884; Reuben Tower to 1886; A.R. Eastman, 1886; I.D. Brainard, 1887-88; F.H. Coggeshall, 1889-90; W.W. Waldo, to 1896, succeeded by F.H. Coggeshall. The village has an excellent fire department, owning a steam fire engine, ample hose and apparatus, with a company for both the engine and hose cart. The village is on what was the Utica, Chenango and Susquehanna Valley Railroad, the opening of which took place in November, 1869, giving a marked impetus to the business growth of the place. Among the leading business men of the village are the following: O.E. Wood, general store, who succeeded C.R. Nash in 1896; P.H. Landers, succeeded W.F. O'Connor in 1895; S.S. Bissell succeeding W.J. Bissell's Sons, drugs; William Jones, succeeded Jones & Marvin in 1893, drugs; D.B. Collins, clothing, began in 1890; Beers & Davis, succeeded William D. Jones in 1893, wall paper, paints, etc., E.G. Brown, drugs; A.H. Wilber, clothing, and many minor business establishments. Many new business blocks of modern character have been erected in recent years, and aside from the general depression incident upon the low price of hops, the village is in a thriving condition.

One of the largest industries of the kind in the whole country is carried on here by the New York Hop Extract Company, organized in 1870. In April, 1873, W.A. Lawrence was elected superintendent. J.R. Whiting became sole licensee of the company for extracting from hops under patents, and soon afterward become president of the company. In 1875-76 the business was removed from New York City to Waterville, the center of the hop district. A large plant was erected with capacity of extracting 20,000 pounds of hops per day. Here an immense product of acknowledged purity is made and finds a market throughout the country.
One of the oldest permanent industries in this county is the drain tile and brick manufactory of P.B. Haven & Son, which was founded in 1812 by John Haven, who came in from Connecticut. From primitive methods of early times this business has advanced until now it is conducted on the most modern and successful lines. In 1836 P.B. Haven, son of John, took possession of the works, made many improvements in methods and about 1855 added the drain tile industry. Two years later an iron tile machine was put in and in 1864 A.G. Haven, son of P.B., became a partner with his father. Horse power brick and tile machinery was used until 1880, when a modern outfit driven by a forty horse power boiler was introduced. Since then every valuable device has been added for the production of brick and tile. Twelve hands are employed.
The schools of this town are in excellent circumstances, there being in 1895 twelve districts with school houses, and a prosperous Union school in Waterville. The building was erected in 1872 at a cost of $20,000. The whole number of children attending the schools of the town in 1895 was 790.
There are now three post-offices in this town; Waterville, Sangerfield and Stockwell, the latter having been established in the southern part of the town, at the place known as Stockwell Settlement, with C.D. Marsh, postmaster. The post-office at Sangerfield has been in existence since early years, Col. David Norton holding the office of postmaster from 1808 to 1829, when he died. There has always been a small mercantile business there and a few shops.
The first church society in Sangerfield was the "Society of Lisbon, Sangerfield," formed about the beginning of 1796, as the outgrowth of efforts made in 1794 to found a Congregational society and secure regular preaching. Services were regularly held from January, 1795, to March, 1797, with occasional preaching. The Society of Lisbon was formally organized March 15, 1797, with eighteen members; the first settled pastor was Rev. James Thompson. A house of worship was erected in 1804, on the village green at the Center, the land constituting the green having been conveyed to the society in October, 1796, by David Norton, Ebenezer Hale, Justus Hale, and Oliver Norton. In 1823 the society divided and about one half organized the First Presbyterian church. The church was removed in 1824 a little to the north, and in 1846 it was demolished and the present one erected. In after years the Congregationalists at the Center attended the church at Waterville and the old church was occupied by an Episcopal mission, services being held in connection with Stockwell Settlement, Oriskany Falls and Augusta Center.
The Baptist church at Waterville was organized in December, 1798, and the first preaching was by Elder Peter P. Roots; the first settled pastor was Elder Joel Butler, who began in 1799. In 1800 a church was built on the green, the land having been granted by Benjamin White. In 1877 the church was extensively improved and its career has been one of prosperity.
The First Presbyterian church at Waterville was organized May 19, 1823, with twenty persons from the first Sangerfield church, as before stated. Rev. Evans Beardsley was the first stated supply, and in 1824 Rev. Daniel C. Hopkins was installed the first pastor. The first church building was erected on the green in 1823; it was sold to the Methodists in 1844, and a frame church built on the site now occupied by a handsome brick edifice which was erected in 1872, at a cost with the lot of $37,000. The church is active and progressive.
Grace church (Episcopal) Waterville, was organized in 1840, and Rev. Fortune C. Brown was the first rector. In 1842 the church was erected which was afterwards transferred to the Welsh Congregational society, and in 1854 the present church was built.
The Methodist Episcopal society at Stockwell was formed in 1843, and the old Presbyterian church building was purchased. This was sold in 1848. In April, 1847, the second Methodist society was organized and the present church built at the Settlement.
In 1857 Waterville was organized as a separate Methodist society, it having previously been in a circuit with other places; it was made one of three appointments under charge of Rev. F.W. Tooke - Waterville, Sangerfield and Stockwell. The frame church in Waterville was built in 1860.
The Welsh Congregational church at Waterville was organized in 1852, and occupied the church sold to them by the Episcopal society.
St. Bernard's Catholic church in Waterville was organized about 1850 and has grown to a large congregation, and has a substantial church.
The town records are incomplete from 1797 to 1800 inclusive; after that year the list of supervisors and their years of service is as follows:
1801, Amos Muzzy; 1802, Oliver Norton; 1803-04, Justus Tower; 1805, Benjamin White; 1806-09, Oliver C. Seabury; 1801, John Williams; 1811, O.C. Seabury; 1812, Josiah Bacon; 1813, O.C. Seabury; 1814-20, Josiah Bacon; 1821-23, Reuben Bacon; 1824-27. Samuel M. Mott; 1828, Josiah Bacon; 1829--31, Samuel M. Mott; 1832, Reuben Bacon; 1833, John Mott, jr., 1834 Erastus Jeffers; 1835, Levi D. Carpenter; 1836, Erastus Jeffers; 1837-40, Horace Bigelow; 1841-42, Julius Tower; 1843, Horace Bigelow; 1844, Otis Webster; 1845, Amos O. Osborn; 1846, Erastus A. Walter; 1847-48, DeWitt C. Tower; 1849, John W. Stafford; 1850-51, George W. Cleveland; 1852-54, James M. Tower; 1855, Edwin H. Lamb; 1856, Hull Page; 1857-62, Platt Camp; 1863-76, James G. Preston; 1877-80, Marion B. Crossett; 1881, Horace P. Bigelow; 1882-84,George W. Cleveland; a special election was held in December 1884, and George Beach was elected to succeed Mr. Cleveland, deceased; 1885, George Beach; 1886-90, Reuben Tower; 1891, Lewis D. Edwards; 1892-96, Charles M. Felton.

"A Hop Picker's Life"

2009-09-14T16:10:00.000-04:00

The Waterville Times
September 16, 1875

HOPS AND HOP PICKERS

How They Enjoy Themselves

At four o'clock A.M., or as soon as the first streaks of light flow from the east, the clatter of the hop wagons are heard. Every street of the town is visited, and clatter, clatter, bang sharp and anxious, sound the wagons, one following another through every street, seemingly on purpose to wake all sleepers, and warn everybody of the passing hop harvest. Pickers have to crawl out, very many of them, no doubt, yet wearied from the past day's work, and more still, by the past night's revelries, and they begin to "load up". All manner of vehicles are used, from the heavy lumber wagon, with boards across the box for seats, or perhaps a rack seat around the vehicle, to the many seated spring wagons, made expressly for the purpose, which carries from ten to thirty, perhaps, and the elegant platform spring wagon, which carries from five to ten pickers with so much ease and comfort. Then back they go through the streets, the clatter reduced to a rumble by the load obtained, with occasionally a shrill voice heard as some boy more than usually wide-awake calls to a mate, or a loud "Hollow" to call some belated picker to their work. The teams all passed and away, silence settles for an hour or so upon the village before those left at home resume their usual avocation, and those somewhat broken in upon by the encroachments of the hop-raisers who take not only all the available women and children, but often draw largely upon laborers of all classes to aid in securing the crop. With so many gone, the village seems half deserted until the return at night.
The various wagons, well freighted with pickers, hie away countryward one, two or three miles, arriving at the hop yards by the time it is light enough to see clearly, and the work begins. Hops picked in the dew lay up higher in the boxes, and fill up faster than those picked in the heat of the day. Those who go out this early, long before breakfast, "mean business." They work with a will, and many a picker, when hops are choice and the circumstances favorable, picks the larger part of a seven bushel box before breakfast, which usually comes about seven o'clock. Up to this time the yards have been rather quiet, but after the morning meal, and all hands have commenced the day's work, it is no uncommon thing for the song and jest to go round, for shrill voice to answer voice, and screams of laughter answer the cutting joke, the well told story or the pleasant song, and still the nimble fingers keep on, and pluck by ones, twos, threes, and handfuls, the aromatic, good-for-nothing produce of the vine. What though the pestiferous insects abound, "hop merchants" are plentiful, or bugs, spiders, worms and such are thick as spotters. The delicate young lady, who in her parlor at home feels in duty bound to scream at one of them, now recklessly dashes them aside by scores, and covered to the elbows in "hop gloves" handles insects and worms with impunity, or with only a sudden quiver of disgust and fear. By high twelve, not one in the yard but welcomes the sensation caused by the summons to dinner. In the long dining room, constituted perhaps with due reference to such an occasion, the tables are elaborately spread. All the substantials and luxuries of the season are prepared. The one who sets a meager or poor table one year, finds it hard work to get pickers the next one, therefore if the housewife has skill and ingenuity, they are in full exercise now. The groceries have yielded their choicest stores, the fields and orchards have been put under contribution, and such a dinner, to be thanked on one side by a splendid tea and on the other by a sumptuous breakfast. Roasts and boils, beef, fish, land and fowls, with such gravies, beautiful, mealy potatoes, and light, snow-white bread, rolls, or biscuits form the substantials, while mountains of cake, oceans of pie, pudding, custards, and often creams and ices, all in the nicest, choicest style serve to whet and appetite which needs no stimulation further than the work in the open air, and the aroma of the hops so freely given. Dinner over, to the yards again, and the afternoon passes like the forenoon, each one trying to gather from the company the greatest amount of enjoyment. Supper over, and hour or two in the yards and encroaching dusk winds up the labor, but in many cases only opens anew the enjoyments of the season. The hop-wagons return to the village those they gathered up in the morning, and as they come in we often hear such roars of laughter which betoken free hilarity and boisterous enjoyment, and at other times it seems as if the throat of each individual in the load was about to burst with the streams of song and chorus with which they "drive dull care away."
With those who stay at the hop grower's over night, is now told the story of those trunks and marvelous large satchels and bags which we see with every party of hop-pickers which comes from abroad. Work over, and hour is given to dress and fixings. The metamorphose of the disagreeable looking caterpillar into the gorgeous butterfly is not astonishing. Silks and satins or more light and airy wardrobes take the place of calicos, bright jewels glisten, and of times gathered in a convenient place, from far and near, to strains of choice music, merry dancers glide, and "Soft eyes Look love to eyes which speak again And all goes merry as a marriage bell."
In the small hours of morning the dancers return to their temporary homes and with the advent of the morning sun, again attired in working garb, they pick, friend discussing with friend, and boxmate with boxmate, the scenes and incidents of the day and night just spent; and thus the days go over and over again.

"Sangerfield House" Dreiheim, 1951

2009-05-06T17:52:00.000-04:00

The following article is from the Utica Daily Press dated August 18, 1951
written by H. Paul Draheim

The picturesque Sanger Mansion located on the top of West Hill above Waterville, commanding a view of all sides for many miles of the equally beautiful countryside is a monument to one of the great names in American History, that of Sanger.
Members of the Sanger family have played important roles in the molding of this great nation, the ancestors being among the pioneer settlers. They have been soldiers, diplomats, authors, lawyers and skilled in engineering.

The Sangerfield House, as it has been named, now owned by William Carey Sanger Jr., was erected in 1906-07 by Col. William Carey Sanger Sr., a Lt. Col. of Infantry, 203rd U. S. Volunteers during the Spanish American War, and a colonel in the New York State National Guard.
He was born May 21, 1853 in Brooklyn and died Dec. 6, 1921 in New York. In 1874 he received his AB degree at Harvard and the following year his AM degree. In 18878 he earned his LLB degree at Columbia Law School and later received an LLD degree at Hamilton College.
Col. Sanger served as Oneida county’s member of the State Legislature on three occasions, and later as assistant secretary of war under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt.

His long record of achievements include serving as president of the American Delegation to the International Conference at Geneva in 1906 to revise the Red Cross Treaty; chairman of the National Guard Commission appointed by Governor Charles E. Hughes in 1908; member of the New York State Lunacy Commission from 1910 to 1911 and president of the State Hospital Commission from 1911 to 1913.
In 1912 he was designated by the president of the United States to receive on behalf of the U. S. government the light house at Crown Point on Lake Champlain.
Later he served as a trustee at Hamilton College, as chancellor of the New York Chapter Colonel (sic) Order of the Acorn and as governor of the New York Society of Colonial Wars.
He married Mary Ethel Cleveland Dodge in New York City on Feb. 23, 1892, and to them six children were born, four of whom are living. They are, William C. Sanger, the present owner of Sangerfield House; Mrs. Mary (F.W.) Simonds, Boston; Mrs. Lillian Schieffelin D’Ardanne, England and Richard H. Sanger of Bayruth, Lebanon.
This in brief is the sketch of the man who came to the Township of Sangerfield in 1892, to take a look at the town named after his great grandfather’s brother, Judge Jedidiah Sanger. He liked what he saw and decided to make it his permanent home.
The First Home of Colonel Sanger was “The Maples” located about a half-mile northwest of the hilltop. About 15 years later while on the hilltop which has an elevation 1,483 feet above sea level, he decided “this is the spot for my new home.”
At the time he owned a tract of 240 acres of land and had leased rights on 1,200 acres more. The hilltop was the center of the vast acreage.
Colonel Sanger engaged the services of Architect Newton Phelps Stokes who drew up the plans for an English Country Home of the Elizabethan type. While the building is strictly English in design, it definitely is not a copy of anything in England or elsewhere.
The J. W. Bishop Company of Worcester, Mass., was engaged as the general contractor, and in 1906 with the aid of a force comprising 30 to 40 men, ground was broken and construction started.
It required one year to erect the large three-story building. The walls are of stone quarried from the pits at Oxford. The stone carefully was selected with about 25 percent being brown and the remainder, gray.
The main building and the north wing which was used as the servant’s quarters, have between 30 and 40 rooms. Each of the rooms command an excellent view overlooking the valleys.
The terrace overlooks the village of Madison, several miles away. The front, or main entrance, overlooks the village of Waterville, with Tassle Hill, Oneida County’s highest spot, in the distance.
There are two square shaped loggias, featured by large Masonic Archways that overlook the Chenango Valley in direction of Hamilton. The north wing’s view is that with the Mohawk Valley in the distance.
There are 10 large fireplaces in the main part of the building, two being in the basement and four each on the first and second floors. Each is an example of master craftsmanship.
In addition there are three large furnaces. Still another feature is the hand operated elevator which connects all floors, a water system with source of supply from a deep well.

Attached to the north wing is a large enclosed courtyard or service area in which there is an ice house (now used for storage), and a garage. The stables are located down the winding driveway nearer the highway.
The present Owner, who like his forebearers saw service in his country’s army and diplomatic service and who is an author is his own rights, is great grandson of Dr. Zedikiah Sanger, a minister and a brother of Jedediah Sanger, founder of New Hartford. He graduated from Harvard in 1771.
Tracing the ancestry, Sanger’s great grandfather was Dr. Zedikiah Sanger, also a minister. Sanger’s grandfather was Henry Sanger who was an importer and many items which he purchased in foreign lands may be observed in the mansion.
The mansion contains a wealth of paintings, including several of the Mrs. Sangers as they appeared on their wedding day, five generations of the Sangers, Lt. Jacob Schieffelin of the British Army, Lt. Joseph Requa of the Colonial Army; Charles Stuart Dodge and many others.
Each portrait, and their(sic) are life size, bears a brass plate with a detailed description. There also is one of John Haynes, the Fourth Colonial Governor of Massachusetts and the First Colonial Governor of Connecticut.
The “Country-House” is filled with valuable antique pieces including the four-poster bed in which Judge Sanger once slept, many of his other furnishings, clocks from all parts of the world, various battle weapons dating back to the days of the lance, a suit of armor.
One of the three giant-sized grandfather clocks once ticked away the time for Judge Sanger. Another was given to Mrs. Sanger, the wife of the colonel, by her parents.
Mrs. William Carey Sanger Sr. is currently making her home in Watertown, Mass. She spends a great deal of her time in Washington, C. C. where the family has many friends.
Pages of history are rapidly turned back through items in the Sanger House. One particularly interesting article is the Megalethosopia which is the fore-runner of television. In reality, it’s a giant sized stereoscope.
There’s also an oar which was used by the present owner when he was a member of the crew at Harvard.
The panelling in the dining room and the library is of rare workmanship and reaches from floor to ceiling. The tables and chairs in these rooms are more than 200 years old and were brought over Paris Hill by oxcart.
The library, in addition to numerous portraits, museum pieces also contains shelves of books, many of them of great value. The railing on the staircase which connects all three floors, is in an artistic class by itself. All of the floors are of hard wood. The doors are solid oak.
The furniture, some at least two centuries old, came from England, France, Italy and other overseas places. They are featured by hand carved trim and decorations.
Rounding out the furnishings, there’s the China, glassware, and lighting fixtures, each a treasurer of its own.
Like his father, the present owner was born in Brooklyn, in a house that was build by his grandfather Henry Sanger. The house on 10 Montague St. commands a view of towering Manhattan across the East River, the Jersey shore to the west, and Governor’s Island and the Statue of Liberty.
At St. Mark’s School, he was editor of the “Vindex.”
From 1911 to 1914 he studied diesel-electric poser for mainline locomotives, and made several drawing which were shown to his friend, W. B. Potter, chief engineer of the General Electric’s railway department.
Many years later the first American built diesel-electric passenger engines made their appearance. Potter visited the Sangerfield House on several occasions, and in 1913 gave Sanger several blue print photographs of the new passenger locomotive for the New York Central.
He graduated from Harvard in 1916, and in that year cast his first presidential vote - for Woodrow Wilson. As a boy he showed an ability to write and in 1915 he published “Tides of Commerce,” a series of poems. That same year he wrote an article urging the founding of a “League of Enforce Peace” among other nations and this piece appeared in “The City of Toil and Dreams” published in 1916 by Country Life Press.
Sanger attended Plattsburg Military Training Camp in 1916, and that Fall just before sailing for France to drive an ambulance, he visited Washington, D. C., and informed President Wilson of his plan for a League to Enforce Peace.
From December 1916 to May 1917 he drove ambulances over the battle fields, serving at Verdun and St. Mihiel. The Knickerbocker Press published his book of poems “With the Armies of France.”
He was commissioned a First Lieutenant of Infantry Nov. 27, 1917, later became attached to the Military Intelligence of the Executive Division, and in 1918 served as assistant to the military attache, American Embassy in Paris.
He saw war service with the 131st Infantry, 33rd Division, AEF in France, and was honorably discharged in May 1919. Later served another five years in the Military Intelligence, ORC, and in 1924 was an usher at Wilson’s funeral
Sanger’s lifetime has been colorful and full of variety, and includes considerable travel. among other organizations, he is a member of the National Geographic Society, and the Founders and Patriots of America.
This is a thumb-nail sketch of the present owner of Sangerfield House, which in reality is a castle, on top of a hill between Waterville and Oriskany Falls.

FRANK LUSK BABBOTT

2009-04-22T07:31:00.000-04:00

The Babbott Room in "The Octagon" at Amherst College.

Frank L. Babbott

Native and Benefactor of Waterville, Dead December 14, 1933 Waterville Times (Front Page)

First Graduate of the Waterville High School, Donor of Community Playground and Generous Giver to Public Library and Local Churches.

Frank Lusk Babbott, a native son of Waterville and philanthropist of many local activities, died last Thursday morning in his home at 149 Lincoln Place, Brooklyn, of pneumonia. He had been ill for two months. He was 79 years old.

Funeral services were held Saturday morning in the Memorial Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, and interment was made in Greenwood Cemetery.

Mr. Babbott was born in Waterville on August 14, 1854, the son of Miller and Mary Elizabeth (Crandall) Babbott. He attended the Waterville Union Free School and was the only member of the first graduating class in 1874. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Amherst in 1878 and a Bachelor of Laws degree from Columbia two He studied law for a few years in the office of E. H. Lamb in Waterville. In 1903 he was made an honorary Master of Arts by Amherst and subsequently an honorary Doctor of Laws.
Mr. Babbott married on February 18, 1886, Miss Lydia Richardson Pratt of Brooklyn. Mrs. Babbott is dead but he leaves a son, Dr. Frank L. Babbott, Jr., president of Long Island College of Medicine, and three daughters, Mrs. William S. Ladd of Manhattan, Mrs. S. Emlen Stokes of Moorestown, N.J., and Mrs. Helen MacDonald, London, England.
Although a Bachelor of Laws, Mr. Babbott entered upon a business career, being a director and officer of the Chelsea Jute Mills from 1883 to 1901 when he retired. During this period he traveled extensively and made a thorough study of the jute industry particularly in foreign countries. He was also a trustee of the Brooklyn Trust Company and the Brooklyn Savings Bank and a director of the Engineers Public Service Company.

Distinguished in Art and Literature

Since his retirement in 1901, Mr. Babbott's outstanding public interests were the Brooklyn Institute of Arts and Sciences, of which he was honorary president, and Packer Collegiate Institute, of which he was president. He was president of the Brooklyn Institute from 1921 to 1929 and a trustee of the Packer Institute for forty years.
In 1932 he received one of five awards of the Neighborhood Club of Brooklyn, "for distinguished service to the cultural and civic life of Brooklyn."

Art Collecting His Hobby

Because of his hobby of art collecting, he was especially interested in the Brooklyn Museum of the institute. With Mrs. Frederic B. Pratt, he arranged the Italian Renaissance Hall of the museum, which was opened in 1932 and donated many pieces of the collection.
In 1927 he presented to the museum embroidered silk garments belonging to the late Dowager Empress Tze-shi of China. In 1926 he contributed, $5,000 to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden of the institute, as part of a fund of $500,000 being raised to meet John D. Rockefeller Jr's contingent gift of $250,000.
Mr. Babbott was a member of the Brooklyn Board of Education from 1895 to 1902 and of the New York Board of Education from 1902 to 1906, being vice president of the latter from 1902 to 1904.

His Many Interests

He was a trustee of the Brooklyn Public Library for thirty years, honorary vice president of the Brooklyn Free Kindergarten Society, a trustee of the Brooklyn Academy of Music, vice president of the Municipal Art Commission, a member of the Board of Home Missions of the Presbyterian Church from 1906 to 1917, president of the Eugenic Research Association in 1927 and a member of the Memorial Presbyterian Church, Brooklyn, and of the First Presbyterian Church, Glen Cove, L.I.
In 1925 he was named a Chevalier of the Legion of Honor of France, in recognition of his work in the cause of education and of art, as well as for his sympathy with France, particularly during the war. He was also a commander, second degree, Dannebrogordenen, a Danish decoration.

Interested in Italian Art

As an art collector, Mr. Babbott in recent years was especially interested in Italian primitive paintings. His collection, which is notable for quality rather than quantity, includes the work of Carlo Crivelli and Lorenzo Monaco. It also includes four paintings by Arthur Davies, etchings and lithographs by whistler, and Chinese pottery and porcelain.
Mr. Babbott compiled an~ edited "Classic English Odes," privately printed in 1902 and "John Donne's Poems," in 1905.
He was a member of Alpha Delta Phi Fraternity, Phi Beta Kappa Society and many prominent clubs.
Besides his town home in Brooklyn, he maintained a summer residence at Glen Cove, L.I.

A Tribute

The New York Times on December 9 paid him the following tribute:
The late Frank L. Babbott was sometimes called The First Citizen of Brooklyn. Yet he never sought or held public office, except membership in the Board of Education. It was enough for him to lay upon his spirit the lowliest duties, at the same time that he gave time and strength and money to the institutions which stand for the highest aims in art and music and education. through his constant aid and leadership they became a power for "joy in widest commonalty spread."
It is needless to repeat the long list of his activities and services in behalf of the city where he lived. Into that multifarious work he poured the life-blood of a master spirit. For his personality, so generous, so genial and sympathetic, was greater than anything he did. To him a multitude of friends were bound by links of affection and admiration which nothing byt his death could sever. His praise today is in the hearts of many who never knew him except through the benefits which came to them from his philanthropic and public-spirited activities. But the severest wrench will be felt by those who were admitted to the intimacy of his friendship.
A lover and patron of art, he also had a delicate and sure taste in literature. Two volumes which he edited and privately printed show the resource and reinforcement which he always found in the best poetry. In the preface which he wrote for his reprint of "Poems of John Donne," he explained that he had selected only what he thought pure as well as beautiful, omitting the grossness found in other collections, in order that his own might "give greater pleasure by giving less offense."
His life furnished a long and fine example of what may be done in the public service by a man who prefers to re main a private citizen. So long as our country can count upon the impulse which comes from such men as Mr. Babbott, we need not despair too much, because comparison with him of too many in office is so sadly to their discredit.

Generous to His Home town

Although Mr. Babbott's interests were naturally greatest in Brooklyn where he made his home, yet he never forgot the village of his birth and his school days here.
He was greatly interested in young people and their recreational advantages. In 1916 when a movement was underway here to establish an athletic field, Mr. Babbott voluntarily sought out the committee having the project in charge and offered to furnish and equip a recreational field. Our well known "Babbott Field" was the result, which he gave to the community, fully equipped and endowed for its upkeep. It was a gift that will always be remembered in the hearts of our young people.
He was a generous giver to the Presbyterian and Baptist Churches in Waterville and to the Waterville Public Library.
in 1919 Mr. Babbott was the speaker at the commencement exercises of the Waterville High School and he took that occasion to voice his love for the institution in which he spent his boyhood years. The following Christmas he anonymously gave fifty dollars to every teacher in the school. Two years ago he visited the new Waterville Central School and was much interested in the use that had been made of the $50,000 gift to the school made by his friend, George Eastman.

A Visitor's Guide to Historic Waterville

2009-02-15T11:22:00.000-05:00

(Click image to enlarge.)

1. St. Bernard’s Catholic Church - This is the second church building on this site. The first, a frame structure, was dedicated in 1854. The first Mass celebrated in this building was on July 14, 1912. The stained glass windows, depicting scenes of Christ’s life, were imported from Italy.

2. Of Federal Georgian architecture, this brick home was built for Dr. W. P. Cleveland in 1829. Some of the windows still hold panes of Sangerfield glass and the hinges and door locks are handmade.

3. George Putnam’s “Castle” was built around 1880. Presumed to have been designed by Charles Babcock, the bricks for the building were said to have been imported from France; the house had all the most up-to-date conveniences, a dumb-waiter, imported woodwork, etched glass and a ballroom on the third floor as well as a cistern on the roof.

4. Grace Episcopal Church was constructed in 1854 when the congregation outgrew its first church building – now the White Street home of the Waterville Historical Society. This Gothic revival building has many beautiful stained glass windows two of which are by Tiffany. The Chapel was added in 1942.

5. The Waterville Baptist Church was raised on this site in 1801 – the first church in “the Huddle.” The present building was built in 1832 and is the oldest church building in Waterville.

6. The Woodman-Getman building was built in 1869 for the Waterville National Bank and the vault is still in the building. The Corinthian ornamentation is cast iron. From its establishment in 1838 until 1869, the bank was located at 126 E. Main.

7. Now SouthGate Ministries, this was the third structure that served the Presbyterian congregation. The first was opposite the park; the second was erected on the present site in 1843. In 1872, when that, too, proved too small, the present building was constructed. In March of 1917, lightning struck the taller spire.

8. The Buell Block was built in 1873 to house the warehouse, offices and showrooms of the Buell Shoe Manufactory. The New York State Hop Extract Works also had offices there and the third floor held the Masonic Hall. A microburst in 1997 damaged the roof to the extent that the Masonic Hall’s ceiling is no longer there, but all of the exterior wooden trim on the building is exactly as it was one hundred years ago.

9. According to earlier historians, The Waterville Hotel was built in the early 1800’s and is probably one of the oldest buildings on Main Street. It has always been a “tavern.” It is currently operated as an English “pub,” and is called “The Red Lion.”

10. According to a Tower descendant, the small brick “schoolhouse” may have been here even before Rueben Tower purchased the lot for his home, before 1829. It later served as the law office of Charlemagne Tower, Sr. It has recently been restored by Mr. and Mrs. Robert Harding who also own the Tower Homestead. The eastern, Federal period wing of the main house was built around 1800; the central, Greek Revival period section was added by Rueben Tower I in 1830, and the west wing added c. 1910 by Charlemagne Tower, II. The wallpaper that had been hung in the “library” when the house was built – colored scenes of Italian seaports - is now in the Smithsonian’s Cooper-Hewitt Museum of Design in New York City.

11. The granite base of the Civil War Monument was erected in 1899 on a plot of land cleared, graded and given to the Soldiers & Sailors Monument Association by Charlemagne Tower, II, and at the behest – so the story goes – of several ladies in the community. The bronze statue was added in 1904. Two Columbiad cannon and eighty ten-inch cannonballs, acquired in 1926 for the Monument Park display, were given to the scrap metal drive of WWII.

12. The Masonic Temple was built in 1896 by Rueben Tower – younger brother of Charlemagne Tower, Sr. – as his residence and office. The 103’ tall tower holds a “chime” of nine bells, cast by the Meneeley Co. of Troy, which are still operating order and are played on Sundays and special occasions. (Rueben Tower was as unique as this building and stories about him are legend!)

13. Italianate “Villa” with “icicle” cornice built c. 1850 by Julius Candee.

14. The Opera House, constructed in 1880, is still – in a way – in existence in that the vast auditorium occupies the second floor of this building. Unused since the 1960’s the property is privately owned.

15. The United Methodist Church was built in 1860 and renovated in 1902 and again in the 1950’s and in use until the new church on Tower Street was built in 1967. Since then, this building has been an auction house as well as store and, now, a private residence.

16. The New Waterville Public Library. Although Waterville has had a collection of books called a “library” ever since 1847, it never had a real library building. This new structure – which opened in 2006 – replaces the Waterville Public Library which had been located in a former residence at 220 E. Main Street ever since 1908. Historians and genealogists will find a visit very rewarding!

17. The Waterville Historical Society building was built by the Protestant Episcopal Religious Society in 1842. In 1854, when the larger church building (Grace Episcopal Church) was built on E. Main Street, this became the Welsh Church and then, in the 1930’s, the Waterville Village Hall. The Historical Society has made many improvements to the building and maintains a large collection of original hop equipment in the barn behind the main structure.

18. New Municipal Hall, constructed in 2003, holds offices of the Mayor, Village Clerk/Treasurer, Judge, the Superintendent of Public Works and the Codes Enforcement Officer as well as the Edward S. Barton Community Hall and substations of the Oneida County Sheriff’s Department and the New York State Police.

Philippa S. Brown - revised February, 2009

Civil War Monument

2006-11-26T15:30:00.000-05:00

The
SOLDIERS AND SAILORS MONUMENT ASOCIATION
of
SANGERFIELD AND MARSHALL

Established in 1897.

The organization was reportedly “instigated by several patriotic women,” although efforts to document this claim have been unsuccessful.
- Alfred J. Isley for the Waterville Centennial History, 1971

Present at the first meeting, in the Hop Extract Office, were:

W.A. LAWRENCE
A.R. EASTMAN
W.G. MAYER
L.W. GOODWIN
L.D. EDWARDS
C.A. DANIELS
DR. F. J. GORTON
L.P. FUESS
G. SNELL
DR. H. C. BENNETT
I. D. BRAINARD
C. G. BRAINARD
R. J. ROBERTS
H. P. BIGELOW
L. M. KING

The object was “to revive the project of erecting a suitable monument to the honored soldiers and sailors who had fought in the war of 1861-1865.”

“Prompted by public spirit and patriotic impulse,” the Honourable Charlemagne Tower donated (deeded December 31, 1898) a portion of his property to the association for the location of the monument.

On June 15, 1898, after viewing fourteen proposed designs, the association selected one by McDonald, Cutler & Co. of Barre, Vt. At a cost of $2,000.00

Following an open meeting at the Opera House, a fund was started to raise that amount. Although over four hundred residents and friends of the community subscribed to the Monument Fund, it was found that donations totaled only $1,962.00, so the eight* members of the association divided the deficit and each contributed an extra $3.50.

In September 1898, the association also arranged to acquire two Columbiad Cannon and eighty ten-inch cannonballs from the Ordnance Department in Washington to be placed near the base of the monument.

The dedication of the monument took place on Saturday, June 10, 1899. A Grand Parade preceded the Dedication Ceremony, which included music by the Waterville Military Band, several hymns and songs, and at least four speeches, the text of which can all be found in the June 15 issue of the Waterville Times.

In July 1904, the Monument Association voted to acquire a bronze statue for the top of the monument and selected a design by Henry Bonnard Bronze co. of New York City at a cost of $1,350.00. A small mortar which had topped the original monument was then placed on the ground in Monument Park.

In 1926, two German-made machine guns took their places in the Park along with the Columbiad Cannon, cannonballs and stone mortar.

In 1942, all of these – except for the mortar – were donated to the W. W. II Scrap Metal Drive.

*I do not know which eight.

- PsBrown for the Waterville Historical Society, 1990

Note added 11/26/06 The Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company of New York City was a well know art foundry and did some of the finest casting in the United States. It operated under the name E. Henry & Bonnard from 1872 to 1881 and under The Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company from 1882-1926. They cast many large pieces and memorials dealing with American History and many art pieces including some by Frederick Remington. His famous "The Broncho Buster" was first made by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Company as a sand casting, a process that uses molds made of baked sand to hold the molten bronze.

A gallery in New York City is currently listing a small bronze plaque - 8" square, cast by the Henry-Bonnard Bronze Co., at an estimated $750.00.

Perhaps we do not appreciate "our" statue as much as we should! PsB

Loomis - Osborn Connection, The

2006-11-26T07:44:00.001-05:00

“And now... for the rest of the story.”

(with apologies to Paul Harvey.)
PsBrown

When George Walter introduced readers to Rhoda Mallett in his 1953 book, “The Loomis Gang,” he described her as a tempestuous eighteen-year-old: beautiful, educated, but bold enough to do frying-pan battle with a sheriff bent on arresting her unscrupulous father.
She claimed to have been descended from French royalty - a fact that has intrigued historians and genealogists far more than it may have impressed local folks of that time. If she had declared, “My uncle is Amos Osborn!” that would have gotten their attention, for Osborn was, in the early 1800’s, one of the wealthiest, most-respected men in Waterville - local royalty, as it were - but she didn’t.
Osborn had come from Trumbull, Connecticut, in 1802, bought Benjamin White’s land, built an impressive brick house on a knoll in the center of the little village and opened a distillery in “Whiskey Hollow.” He then appears to have urged his younger brother William to come to Waterville to seek similar fortune and, then, his older sister, Abigail, who was married to Trumbull native Zacchariah Mallett. Mallett had had trouble with the Connecticut constabulary, so Osborn may have thought that in giving him a job and providing a home for Abigail and her three children - boys named Wheeler and Silas and a little girl named Rhoda - he could give them all, in effect, a “new start” in life.
Amos Osborn’s wealth increased. His home - which stood where the Green Acres Plaza is now located - was among the most elegant in Waterville, his children the best-educated, and his son, Amos Ozias Osborn’s - written accounts of life in Waterville continue to be the most reliable and complete historical resources. The Osborn Family both made and saved history, but the one family they never, ever wrote about was the one named “Loomis.”
George Walter not only missed the connection, but threw researchers an extra curve by misspelling Abigail’s maiden name “Osburn” instead of “Osborn.”
Had author E. Fuller Torrey and film maker Brian Falk known “the rest of the story,” they might have explored reasons for an apparent break between the two families and the resulting psychological impact it may have had upon young Rhoda and the role she later played as a mother and founding member of the infamous “Loomis Gang.” The proverb says, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.” Perhaps that author knew Rhoda!

The above historical and genealogical material, assembled by PsBrown in 2003, has been forwarded in greater detail to Loomis descendants and researchers and has served as the basis for a study written by Will Mackintosh, of Deansboro. Walter Wheeler of Porterville, CA, using his own research, has also written of the newly-discovered Osborn-Loomis connection.

"The Garden Spot of New York"

2006-11-26T07:09:00.000-05:00

Excerpted from the Dec. 22, 1893 issue of the Waterville Times.

"Col. Wm. Cary Sanger spoke before the Oneida County Supervisors on the subject of good roads. He said he 'traveled all over Europe and not until you get to Turkey will you find roads as poor as we have here in this garden spot of the Empire State'. He would like macadam roads in place of dirt and main road be charged to the county."

In 1931, an illustrated brochure about benefits of travel on the "Cherry Valley Turnpike" was published by the Cherry Valley Association, which had been founded in 1926. At that time, a Roger W. Huntington, of Waterville, was one of the directors of the Association, and it is he who is credited with repeating Colonel Sanger's descriptive name for the village.

This is what the writers had to say about Waterville:

"Almost concealed by its wealth of foliage, it is truly named 'The Garden Spot of New York State.' At an elevation of 1,280 feet above sea level, its atmosphere is pure and bracing without being too rarified, and, owing to the absence of any large body of water, contains but little moisture. The climate is delightful and cannot but be beneficial to the tourist, be his stay long or short. It is a wonderfully 'healthy' place.

The village conatins about 1,400 inhabitants and is noted for the wealth, culture and refinement of its citizens and the thrift and comfort which permeates everything. The streets and avenues are broad and well-paved with stately old elms and maples standing guard over them on either side, and forming one of the greatest of its many charms. The residences are well built structures, with an air of neatness and thrift about them, which is most refreshing. All have pretty and well-kept surrounding gardens and grounds; everywhere the eye is greeted by soft blending colors.

The residents are proud of the new Central School building, completed in the spring of 1930. This building contains complete departments for home economics, agriculture, music, drawing, commercial subjects and kindergarten, besides the study rooms for the grades and the high school. A gift of $50,000 by George Eastman of Kodak fame, who was born in Waterville, has made possible a wonderful auditorium in connection with the school."

Opera House History by N. R. Cowen

2006-11-20T06:50:00.000-05:00

HISTORY OF WATERVILLE OPERA HOUSE
by
Norman R. Cowen

Note: This article was taken from page 33 of the Willett scrapbook.
I presume the article was written in 1959 and can be found in the
archives of the Waterville Times. RFB.

For many years Putnam Hall (now Waterville Knitting Mills, Inc. Mill#1) served as a public hall and Waterville’s Opera House.
Early in February, 1879, Putnam Hall was sold to E. W. Buell, to become Buell’s Boot and Shoe Factory.
Waterville was without a Hall for entertainments.
At one of the social gatherings of the Waterville Lyceum held at the Brunswick Hotel in January, 1880, Dr. Claude Wilson suggested that a committee be appointed to discuss action to be taken to provide Waterville with a public hall. The suggestion was received with enthusiasm. It was the unanimous opinion of all present that Waterville must have an Opera House and a good one. A committee consistting of W. B. Goodwin, Dr. Claude Wilson, M. P. Cady, A. R. Eastmean and W. B. Candee were selected to investigate. It was estimated that $15,000 would be sufficient to secure a public hall. A number of enterprising citizens in fifteen days subscribed the require amount but as is often the case, the cost was underestimated and more money was required to comlete the undertaking. The articles of incorporation of The Waterville Opera House Company Limited was filed with the County Clerk in April, 1880. The company continued to oerate for fifty years.
On the site chosen for the new Opera House was the American Hotel livery and hotel barns which were purchased of Mr. A. Young and Son, proprietors of the hotel.
On May 20, 1880, Mr. Garvey and John St. John with a force of fifteen men, five wagons and four teams started preparing the ground for the new Opera House. The structure to be of brick two stories high, the first story was originally composed of four stores fronting on White Street and extending through to Main Street. The Opera House entrances on both Main and White Street. From the Main Street entrance at the head of an easy flight of stairs was the box office, from there through a large corridor to the auditorium with a seating capacity of 800 to 900 people. The stage opening was 20 by 26 feet, the depth of the stage was 25 feet, with a gentle incline toward the audience. The stage was high enough to enable all to have a good view of the performance. In the back of the stage was a green room, a property room and four dressing rooms. A means of communication to the American Hotel was built for the benefit of performers and others whose duties called them to the rear of the house between the acts, by building an Iron Covered Bridge, connecting the Green Room with the American Hotel. The Ornamental and servicable bridge was built by H. D. Babcock of Leonardsville, N. Y. for the Opera House Company. After serving its purpose for three quarters of a century the bridge became unstable and had to be taken down.
The scenery for the stage was produced under the personal supervision of Scenic Artist McKenzie, which consisted of thirteen sketches and combinations. All views painted on flats and the scenes ran in four grooves to show a Palace, Garden, Rocky Pass, Landscape, Woods, Center Door, Fancy Chamber, A Two Door ditto, Kitchen, Plain room, Prison, Street Scene and a Horizon or Ocean View, each of which had a full set of wings to match the front.
The grand opening was held December 16, 1880. A special train of three coaches came from Utica, the Ladies and Gentlemen were conveyed to the Opera House or Hotels free of expense, dinner was served at th e American Hotel by proprietors A. Young & Son, followed by a concert of the Old Utica Band orchestra. There was an address by Mr. Horace P. Bigelow and a poem by School Principal G. R. Cutting. Following the general exercises a grand Ball was held. The concert and ball was a full dress affair. The opening was a great success and the special train returned to Utica in the late hours of the next morning.
The following Saturday, December 18, 1880, The Wilkinsons presented Uncle Tom’s Cabin, with Lillie Wilkinson as the greatest “Living Topsy” and Little Winnie Shannon as “Eva”. On Monday, December 20, 1880, East Lynne was presented. Reserved seats were on sale at W. J. Bissell & Sons store.
Many of Waterville’s older citizens can now reminisce on the many pleasant times enjoyed at the old opera House, remember the home Talent Plays and Minstreal Shows with the names, Terry, Westcott, Norton, Pugh, Puckey, Berrill, Bissell and many more.
The annual Firemen’s Ball with long hop picking tables laden with food of all kinds featuring milk pans of scalloped oysters.
Bordens annual dance and ball. It was here (the only place) the Waterville high School practiced and played their Basketball games.
West from the Main Street entrance, on the first floor has been the home Office of the Waterville Times and Hop Reporter for many years, editors have been Yale, Hawkins, Terry, George Westcott. To the west on Main Riley Williams Block had a fancy drygoods store, next on west H. R. Thomas had a grocery store, on the north west corner was Conger’s Hop Office, on the second floor north west, Leonard Quillman once had a Barber Shop. On the first floor southwest corner, Charles Bacon sold fancy wagons and sleighs.
The Opera House (1959) is now owned by Clifford J. McLaughlin under the management of his son, Spencer J. McLaughlin, now known as the Strand Theatre. West of the Main Street entrance is the Main Office and Print Shop of the Waterville Times and Hop Reporter published and edited by Mrs. Emily P. Westcott. To the west on Main St. Riley Williams block is now owned by Stephen Congelo now a Flat and Restaurant. the H. R. Thomas Grocery store, in the Mrs. Eunice Wright block first floor is now the Waterville Hardware, Inc. with an apartment on the second floor”
To illustrate then laborious work of building in the “Good Old Days” and the progress made since then, I quote, “Joseph Lavel, a loborer on the Opera House building, whose duty it was to carry or wheel bricks from the road to the walls of the second story. He had to load the brick into a wheelbarrow, wheel them into the building, wet them and then convey the load to the masons where he unloaded them. From actual count and measurements taken by disinterested parties, he wheeled 150 loads up during the ten hours of his days work. Each load a distance of 190 feet making the distance of 360 feet each trip, this aggregates during the day ten miles and six hundred feet traveled, half the distance wheeling a load of 60 brick or 240 pounds up a very steep incline.
As before stated, the site chosen for the Opera House was the American Hotel livery and hotel barns which were purchased of Mr. A. Young & Son. Mr. Young then purchased the Garvey property on the south side of White Street, a tenement house and blacksmith shsop were replaced by the hotel barns, several points were gained by removing the barns as greater security from fire, the unpleaasant odor and noise that were necessary accompaniments of livery barns had been taken away from the American Hotel. For many years this property was used as a boarding and livery stable, later known as the White St. Garage.. On May 1, 1959 this building containing 39 sq. rods also portion of farm land south of the building was transfered by Mr. Edward S. Barton and Mrs. Barton to the Village of Waterville as a gift.

History of the Churches - by N. Cowen

2006-11-19T16:37:00.000-05:00

(From the Waterville Times dated 16 September 1948)

History Given of the Churches In Waterville

Presented Before The Canvassers of the Census
Which Was held at the Presbyterian Church, Sept. 15, 1948
by Norman Cowen

The first settlers of Waterville were Nathan Gurney and Benjamin White in 1789. In 1793 Judge Sanger built the first saw mill. In 1796 Mr. White erected the first grist mill. The first Post-Office in 1806. In 1808 Waterville was the name chosen as being more dignified than "The Huddle" which in 1806 had 32 dwelling houses and 200 inhabitants. For many years the east branch of the Oriskany Creek furnished power for many mills. For many years Waterville was the hop center for the industry and today corn, wheat, potatoes, picking beans and peas are the main crops. Dairying has increased rapidly in the late years.
It is not known who were the first Baptists or the year they came to the Town of Sangerfield. But we have reason to believe that Baptists were here previous to the year 1798. There were but a few of the Baptist denomination at that time. For a time they met with the Congregationalists and later they met at the home of White Osborne, which later was the home of William A. Cleveland now the home of Philip Schwender at the foot of Edward's Hill. On the 14th of April, 1798 eight persons met. On Dec. 19th 1798 a council was called and held at the home of Benjamin Whites, (the house is still standing between the Amos O. Osborne's brick house and the Candee Block). Churches sent delegates from Fairfield and Palatine, Whitestown Paris Church, Hamilton and Augusta.
The Council voted to recognize the 17 members as a gospel Church. The first Pastor was Elder Joel Butler on a salary of $65.00 one half of the time to be paid in produce at the market price to be increased $5.00 each year until it amounted to $100.00. August 9th, 1800 a contract was signed for the erection of a meeting house to be finished by the 1st of December, 1800. The site of the Church had been granted them by Benjamin White for a meeting house and other Church purposes. It was a triangular plot starting at the point by the bank and east up Main Street to Stafford Avenue South to White Street and West to the point at White and Main Streets.
In the tower of the Church is the Town Clock. The original Church stood south east of the present Church. It was 40 feet by 50 feet and the posts were 23 feet long. There were 30 windows composed of 8 by 10 inch glass twenty-four lights in each. Galliers on two sides and one end.
The contract price was $400.00 to be paid in produce and each workman was to receive one and one-half gill of rum a day. The Church was not finished on Contract time, as there is no record of a meeting being held in it until June 19, 1801 and was not wholly completed until 1815. Some of the Church records were burned in the Stanton Parks distillery in 1812, so there are now no records to show why the Church was not completed before.
The work was progressing and the steeple was raised when the news came that a treaty of peace between England and the United States had been agreed upon and while the Village was being illuminated in honor of the event, a sailor climbed the frame of the steeple and put a lighted candle in the ball on the top of it. No enough air was in motion to blow it out so it burned down to the ball.
This church stood until 1832 when the present Church was built. Up to the year 1808 the Church seemed to prosper, 130 had united by baptism and letter since its organization From 1808 until 1814 we find little recorded, and then the Church seemed to grow and increase in members until the year 1840 it numbered 166, the highest ever reported since its organization. After this it seemed to grow less in numbers so that in 1851 there were only 106 members and in 1863 there were only 65, the lowest on record. There are 50 members now.

First Presbyterian Church

The Presbyterian Church was organized May 19th, 1823, by twenty persons, who presented letters of dismission from the Congregational Church in Sangerfield. They were assisted by a committee from the Presbytery of Oneida. The first Church was built in 1823 and was a wooden structure 40 feet by 53 feet located on the present site of the Brunswick Hotel. The property was bought from John McLish and the Church erected at a cost of $2,413. Its front was adorned by a porch supported by four square pillars, surmounted by a steeple crowned with a weather-vane which was later placed on the Reuben Tower building, now the Masonic Temple. Until this structure was completed, services were held in the school-house. During the first twenty years its membership averaged about 160. In 1843 it was sold and moved back to be used as a barn of the Hotel Brunswick and the other half became the barn now located at Bishop Coley's.
The second Church was built of wood on the present site in 1843 after the property had been purchased from one of its members, Gilbert M. Gifford. It was painted white with green blinds and seated about 400. The basement was used in part as a lecture room and in part as a private school. Because of the rapid growth of the Church after the Civil War and the coming of the railroad, plans for a larger Church were begun in November 1871. A subscription paper brought in a few weeks pledges amounting to $25,000. There was one $1,500 pledge and eight $1,000 pledges. For sixteen months Church services were held in Putnam Hall, now the Waterville Textile Mill by the Depot, while the present Church was being built. The corner stone was laid on July 15, 1872. The Church was dedicated August 14, 1873. The 1800 pound bell in the tower was manufactured by Meneeley and Kimberly of Troy, New York. This Church seats about 600. The membership in June 1878 was 190
At the first evening service the Church was brilliantly lighted by 48 kerosene lamps in four chandeliers suspended from the ceiling. In August 1925 a terrific hail storm broke all of the windows on the west side of the Church. On May 22-23, 1948, The Church celebrated its 125th anniversary.
Today's membership is 250. The oldest living member of the church is Mrs. Flora C. Eastman who joined the church on March 4, 1872,

Grace Episcopal Church

Grace Church Parish was organized on August 10, 1840, (The few people who" wished to hold divine worship according to the rites of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of New York" had been worshipping in the Brick School House in School District No. 3). They met on August 10th, 1840, at "Said place of worship pursuant to notice duly given in time of morning service on two Sundays previous thereto for the purpose of incorporating themselves into a Religious Society, under the act of the Legislature of the State of New York."
Six men, one of which was Amos O. Osborne, walked to Paris Hill to the old church there to ask the Bishop, who was holding services there to let them have an Episcopal Church in Waterville. In 1842 the Society organized as The Wardens and Vestrymen of Grace Church, Waterville, and erected a church on White Street. The same year the first confirmation class of six were confirmed by the Bishop in the Consecrated building of Grace Church, Waterville.
The present frame church was built in 1854 and was consecrated June 15 of that year by Rt. Rev. William H. DeLancey. Eleven members were confirmed at that service making 43 confirmed members of Grace Parish. Amos O. Osborne was the first clerk of the Vestry and the Vestry Record book was kept by him. Then later by William G. Mayor, who succeeded him, and then by Osborne Mayor. For over 100 years the record book contained only three hand writings all in the same family.
Communicants in June 1878 numbered 93 and today the present membership is about 250.

Methodist Episcopal Church

In 1835 the "Conger Settlement" society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed and the Old Presbyterian Church edifice in Waterville was purchased. It was sold in the winter of 1848-49. In April 1847 the second Methodist Episcopal Church was organized and a neat house of worship built in Stockwell. The present Church in Waterville, a frame dwelling was built in 1860 at a cost of about $5,000. The membership in 1878 was 120 and 133 members in the Sunday School. In 1902 the church was enlarged and repaired. The entire cost was paid by the late Mrs. I. D. Brainard. Electronic chimes were a gift in 1947 for the enjoyment of the village particularly those who are shut-ins.

Saint Bernard's Roman Catholic Church

There is no record of the Catholic people who first came to Waterville, nor when they came. There were Catholics here in 1837 for records show that Thomas Collins sent to Utica for a priest to care for a member of his family who was sick. Two years later in 1839, 18 Catholic people assembled in the home of Andrew Bradley on what is now Stafford Avenue to assist at the first Mass on record in Waterville. This Mass was said by the Reverend David Bacon who continued on to Hamilton and Norwich where he said Mass for Catholics in those villages.
In 1845 Father John McMenorny purchased the lot on which the church stands today. In 1848 Father Patrick Caraher began a fund for the building of a church which was completed in 1853. The Church was dedicated October 26th, 1854. The congregation then numbered less than 100 residing in Waterville, Oriskany Falls, Brookfield and Paris Hill. In 1911 the corner stone was laid for the beautiful new Saint Bernard's Church.

The Welsh Congregational Church

Meetings held as early as 1830 through 1841. Dr. Everett first minister.

The Welsh Congregational Church was organized in 1852 and the building used by the society was one formerly occupied by the Episcopalians. The membership in June 1878 was 100, made up of people living in adjoining towns and Waterville. This building is now the municipal Hall of the village.
Disbanded in 1926.

The Candee Block

2006-11-19T16:29:00.001-05:00

(From the archives of the Waterville Historical Society.)

Fire Destroys Candee Block
by Mary C. Cleary

(from The Waterville Times of 20 January 1982)
(Note: This edition is mis-dated as 1981)

Waterville lost a landmark last week.
An early morning fire on Friday, Jan. 15, destroyed the three-story brick Candee Block on Main Street.
The Building, owned by Spencer and Clifford J. McLaughlin Jr. was a total loss. It had housed many different stores and offices during the past 94 years. It escaped the last major fire in Waterville in 1929. That time the fire which swept through the south side of Main Street was stopped at the Candee Block.
This time the fire began and ended in the Candee Block, which housed six tenants, the New York Pizzeria, Green Acres Florist, H&R Block on the first floor, and the dental offices of Dr. John F. Upcraft, the law offices of Donald J. Whelley, and a Karate Studio on the second floor. The third floor, originally built as a ballroom was empty. Part of the building was also used as storage area for McLaughlin's Department Store across the street.
The alarm was turned in by Kim Hull of the Huddle, at 2:28 a.m., when he noticed smoke and flames coming from the pizza parlor. He hurried to the firehouse to turn in the alarm.
Area residents who heard the siren blow for 16 minutes tumbled out of bed, close behind Waterville firefighters. Some residents of White Street, a short distance from the fire, smelled smoke in their homes, and knew the fire was very close even before looking out of their windows or donning overcoats to run down the street.
Through Mutual Aid, fire companies from Deansboro, Oriskany Falls, Clinton and Willowvale responded quickly to assist. The North Brookfield Department stood by in case other fire calls came. The Clinton Fire Department led by Jack Nester, brought an aerial ladder truck, which immediately began to direct water on the upper story and the roof, but the fire had gotten such a head start before the firemen were called, that by 4 a.m. the entire building was engulfed in flames.
At 4:29 a.m. there was a gigantic "pop" and the roof caved in. Miraculously the front of the building withstood the fire.
By 4:50 a.m. the back wall had caved in, and much of the side wall nearest the Grand Union had collapsed, leaving a mass of bricks at the corner of the building looking like a leftover piece of a jigsaw puzzle.
At 5 a.m. spectators watching the fire noted an eerie green flame mixing with red flames at the second story window over the pizza parlor.
by eight a.m. the fire was brought under control, although it continued to burn. Part of Main Street was closed to traffic. Early morning motorists and the school buses had to detour on Osborne Street to Sangerfield and to Madison Street to reach the high school.
Ice froze the hydraulic mechanism on the aerial ladder. A giant heat blower provided by Eastern Rock Products was borrowed to thaw it, so that the truck could return to Clinton.
There were no major injuries, although three firefighters, Merle Foster and William Malpezzi of Oriskany Falls and Robert Pound of Waterville were treated after a wall of the building collapsed and sent sparks shooting at them. They later returned to continue fighting the fire.
Two hundred firefighters fought the blaze for over six hours. Firemen chilled in the zero temperature, took turns running into Morgan's Store, which had been opened by proprietor Jim Morgan and his family. There they warmed themselves at the radiators and got dry gloves. other firemen went briefly to the firehouse to get hot coffee which was served by the Waterville Firemen's Auxiliary who had gotten supplies from Garrett's Store which also opened briefly. Evelyn Gerhardt, Louise Mayne and Donna Belfield, Auxiliary President began working only 15 minutes after the fire was discovered.
Workmen from New York State Electric and Gas led by Harold Steward, foreman, responded quickly to turn off gas service to the building.
The firefighters worked very hard to prevent damage to Woodhouse Liquors and the Waterville Pharmacy which flanked the larger Candee Block. The two establishments which suffered smoke damage were not able to open Friday.
Waterville Fire Chief Robert Winfield said that the fire apparently originated in the rear of the pizza parlor on the first floor. He said that an investigation was underway to determine the cause of the fire, but was incomplete. Further investigation by the Oneida County Sheriff's Department was resumed Monday after the building had been leveled by Central Steel Erecting Co. Inc. of Chadwicks on Friday Afternoon.
A skeletal force of Waterville's firemen remained on duty all weekend to hose down the smoldering remains, which were still burning Monday.
On Saturday, a shift of the wind carried the still strong smoke directly across the street to McLaughlin's Department Store, Moore's Coffee Shop, Scerbo's Store and Morgan's Hardware Store.
Representatives from the C&U Telephone Corporation and NuView Television labored all weekend in severe weather to restore telephone and cable service. By late Saturday afternoon most of the service had been restored.
The owners of the building, Spencer and Clifford McLaughlin, could not give an estimate of the damage, but the said the had paid $25,000 for the building when they bought it on Nov. 1 1978 from Richard S. Woodman and Lois Lloyd.
Spencer McLaughlin said the loss would be higher than that because they had done quite a bit of remodeling for their tenants. He said the firemen had done a "super job."
"Our tenants have lost a great deal, but the town has lost even more." he said. "It was an attractive building. Buddy and I had even talked about removing the white signboard which covered part of the stone work on the front of the building."
One of Spencer's sons, Scott, is a fireman. He said Scott returned home from answering the alarm, and told him about the fire.
Mayor Stanley Dziekonski commended the efficient way the fireman fought the blaze. He said the new water main which had been laid recently provided excellent water pressure.
Several tenants are relocating. Attorney don Whelley said that he will temporarily have an office in part of Gardner A. Callanen's office on the corner of Stafford and Putnam Streets. Cindy Wratten's Green Acres Florist Shop will be closed until she moves her business into a new location on Main Street. The plans of the other tenants have not been announced yet.
The McLaughlin brothers said that at this point they have not decided whether or not to rebuild.
Several people who watched the fire from a vantage point across the street remarked that they were glad that the Waterville Historical Society had sponsored a tour of Main Street, on Aug.. 16, 1981, which had included the Candee Block. Mrs. Edward S. Barton narrated the tour and took participants through the building. In addition Carlton Alsheimer, proprietor of Modern Electric Used TV Center on Main Street, videotaped the tour and Mrs. Barton's talk.
Harry Northrop Jr., from a vantage point in Morgan's Hardware, filmed videotapes Friday afternoon when the front of the building was torn down as a safety measure.
The staff of The Waterville Times was kept busy answering inquiries from news media in Hamilton, Utica, Rome, Syracuse, Watertown and Oneida who called for details of the fire. The Times received calls Friday, but could not place outgoing calls.

History of the Candee Block

(Waterville Times 20 January 1981)
Researched by Mrs. Edward S. Barton
and M. L. Peterson
(The Candee Block was destroyed by fire on 15 January 1981)

The Candee Block had a long and interesting history.
The three story brick building was built by Mrs. William B. Candee in memory of her husband who had died in 1886.
Two buildings were removed to make way for the building. One frame building was torn down. A second one, on the eastern side, was moved to Stafford Avenue, where it stands as a garage. This building had been built by Amos Osborn for his son-in-law Julius Candee in 1839, and was used as a dry goods store.
Construction of the Candee Block was started on July 27, 1888. It was designed by A. J. Simmons, a Utica architect. Construction was supervised by A. B. Cady, who had built many homes in Waterville. According to the Waterville Times, the entire cost of the building was about $25,000. The Candee Block measured 66 by 71 feet. The facade of the first floor was built of Oxford blue sandstone, and the second and third floors were built of Philadelphia pressed brick. The flat roof was fabricated of asphalt and gravel.
The hall was officially dedicated with a dinner dance sponsored by the Waterville Grange, and reported in the Jan. 3, 1890 issue of The Waterville Times. According to the article, the party was a great success. A supper was served from 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Jerome Hale, Master of the Grange presided. He introduced H. B. Bigelow, who delivered the main address. Following the ceremonies a dance was held, and dancing continued until 5 a.m. Saturday morning. The dance floor, reported the Times, was spacious enough to accommodate 12 sets of square dancers.
The Hop Extract Plant rented space in the building on July 19, 1889, to be occupied upon completion of the building.
A. H. Weber moved into the building on Dec. 20, 1889 and sold men's clothing. He occupied the western section (last used full-time as a Ben Franklin Store) until the early 1920's.
Avery and Nolan moved into a barber shop on the second floor at the right at the top of the stairs on Nov. 29, 1889. He advertised "all modern conveniences with two large bathing apartments with hot and cold running water." In the center was a marble topped lavatory with two decorated bowls and shampooing attachments. On one side was a beautiful case with mirrors, shelves for cups, bottles, and two barber chairs.
On Dec. 20, 1889 the Grange held their last meeting in the Putnam Block, and later moved to the third floor of the Candee Block, where monthly suppers were held as well as regular meetings. The Grange held children's parties annually in February there, as well as strawberry festivals in June.
Various organizations held dances on the third floor.
The Waterville Firemen's Ball and the Borden's Condensery Balls were annual events which were always well attended. St. Bernard's Church also used the third floor for parties, dances and other social events. The Senior Ball of Waterville High School for many years was also held there.
A Homecoming banquet was also held there in 1902, as was the dinner commemorating the local school's 50th anniversary.
Other will-known tenants of the building were Charles G. Green and Son who occupied part of the first floor which was last used as a pizza parlor. the Green operated a private bank from about 1890 to about 1920. Later I. D. Brainard and Charles Green Brainard used the same space for an office to sell hops and investments.
From about 1920 to 1961 this area on the first floor was a post office. The postmasters during this period were A. C. Salisbury, E. J. Conger, Charles Green Brainard, Sr., G. Francis McNamara and Mrs. G. F. (Thelma) McNamara. In 1961 the Post Office moved to the present location in the Grand Union Shopping Center.
The Post Office was a favorite meeting place for young and old. There was a wide wooden seat in the window where people could sit while the mail was being sorted. It was a narrow, deep office with the service windows along the eastern side, and lock boxes for everyone who did not get general delivery. In the days before home delivery, people would wait in the long lobby and "chew the fat" while waiting for the mail to come in. Some of the clerks who worked for many years were Bessie Hilsinger, Lulu Avery and Kate Terry. Truman Jones for many years was the special delivery messenger.
After the post office relocated, there were several different tenants in that location on the first floor including a newsstand and bakery run by Howard J. Welsh and his sister Donna Melvin. Joan Olsson's woodworking shop, the Essential Aquarian; the Macramania, an arts and crafts shop. Frank Pumilio opened the New York Pizzeria in Feb. 1980. It became a favorite place for teenagers and other pizza lovers.
The middle section of the first floor was last occupied by Green Acres Florist, run by Cindy Wratten. It was originally occupied by J. B. Wells and Son, whose parent store was located in Utica. From sometime in the 1890's John M. Luker ran a dry goods department store until about 1948 when Foedish Corset and Lingerie Shop moved in. Later Keith Gilman ran a dry goods store there. A Ben Franklin Store operated by Edward Iversen occupied this space as well as the western end. Clifford McLaughlin bought the Ben Franklin in 1964.
The western end had currently been in use as an H&R Block office and for storage for McLaughlin's Department Store.
Some tenants to occupy the second floor at various times in addition to the barber shop were Julius N. Candee, a lawyer; C. M. Wickwire, a lawyer; Dr. Irving Rice, a dentist, two other dentist, Dr. Thompson and Dr. York, and most recently Dr. John F. Upcraft, a dentist.
Also Weller and Smith, lawyers, and Gardner Callanen, a lawyer had offices at one time on the second floor. c. G. Brainard Sr. occupied two rooms on the second floor for an investment office complete with tickertape. The Rev. J. Winslow Clarke, a rector of Grace Episcopal Church, also had a small two-room apartment on the second floor during the late 1920's and early 1930's.
Donald J. Whelley had his law office on the second floor for almost 30 years.

Candee Block Lot to be Sold
(From the 27 January 1982 edition of the Waterville Times)

Main Street in Waterville, already considerably altered by the fire of Jan. 15, seems to be in the throes of further change.
Patrick Doyle, spokesman for McLaughlin's Department Store, confirmed to the Waterville Times that the lot on which the Candee Block stood is in the process of being sold to Frank and Rosa Pumilia of Frankfort.
The Pumilias operated the New York Pizzeria, one of the businesses destroyed by fire. The Pumilias signed a contract of sale with intent to purchase the lot "as is" on Saturday morning, Doyle said. The closing is due to take place in the near future, he said.
Mrs. Pumilia said that her husband and she plan to erect a building in which to locate another pizza parlor after the debris is cleaned from the lot.
Other former tenants have also been busy re-locating this past week. The Karate Studio operated by Bill Doheny and Efren Reyes will be temporarily located in the auditorium of the Schoolhouse Apartments on Stafford Avenue until a suitable location can be found.
Attorney Donald J. Whelley is temporarily located at the law offices of Callanen, Foley and Hobika, at the corner of Putnam and Main Street. He would like all his clients to know that all the wills and other valuable papers stored in his safe were retrieved intact.
The plans of Dr. John F. Upcraft, who had a dental office on the second floor of the Candee Block, are still incomplete. Dr. Upcraft told the Times that he would like to continue the practice of dentistry if suitable office space is available.
The office of H&R Block will re-open Saturdays, according to Ward and Margaret Ellsworth of Leonardsville, co-owners of the tax-service. The new office will be in the Cherry Valley - Senif (Sunoco) office building on Route 20 at the eastern edge of Sangerfield. Telephone installation of the currently listed number is scheduled for Jan. 29, but the alternate number in Leonardsville may be used until then.
Ellsworth said that apparently existing files were destroyed in the Candee Block fire, so plans for replacement of those "Valuable papers" depends upon former clients bringing their copies of last year's returns when filing this year.
Norman Levy of Dumar Realty Corporation of New York City, stated Friday that a contract of sale for the former Grand Union Shopping Plaza had been signed but the closing had not yet taken place.
Cindy Wratten, owner of Green Acres Florist, whose place of business was also destroyed in the Candee Block fire, plans to relocate in the building by spring.
The closing of the sale of the former Opera House building, which occupies space on both Main Street and White Street, took place Friday afternoon. The building was purchased by Francis A. Clarke Jr. of Clinton from Elizabeth Lemieux of Chadwicks.
The new owner, through his spokeswoman, Sara Borek, said that he plans to repair the building, and will remodel the interior to suit prospective tenants. The Opera House building at one time housed the Waterville Times and Times Print Shop, the Strand Theatre and other businesses.

WATERVILLE HAD 4 MAJOR FIRES
(from the Waterville Times dated 27 January 1982)

By Martha Cleary
Historical Research By M. L. Peterson

Four major fires have changed the look of main street through the years.
All four blazes struck in the dead of winter. All four occurred on the west end of Main street, and all destroyed several businesses.

The first fire hit The Waterville House on Jan. 1, 1876, at about 1 a.m. The Waterville House was located by the west end of the Tower Block, presently McLaughlin's Department Store. At that time it housed the Gibbs Brothers grocery and drug store, with Mrs. C.L.G. Gibbs, proprietor. There was also a jewelry store in the building.
The Waterville fire company's two hand engines were inadequate and a bucket brigade across the street helped confine the flames. Presumably they filled their buckets from the factory pond on the south side of Main Street.
A wooden tenement, owned by J. A. Berrill and Son, was also lost in the blaze. It was uninsured.
Gibbs' store lost an estimated $8,500 with $2,000 of insurance. The jewelry store lost $4,500 to $6,000, with $3,000 worth of insurance. The jewelry store's safe was recovered from the ruins.
Fire fighters concentrated on saving the Tower Block and Berrill's machine shop and store. The Tower Block had $2,000 to $2,500 worth of damage, all covered by insurance.

Fifty-two years later, of Feb. 7, 1928, a second fire struck the exact site. Two wooden, three-story buildings had replaced the Waterville House. The first one was the Melvin Block. Between the Melvin Block and the Tower Block was the telephone office.
There was a clothing store on the ground floor of the Melvin Block which was then owned by a Utica real estate man. The fire started in an apartment on the third floor of this building. The occupant of the apartment had been away for 10 days or more due to illness in the family.
The telephone operators next door stayed at the switchboard as long as they dared, calling for outside help.
Fire pumpers came from Utica, New Hartford, Clinton, Deansboro, Willowvale, Clayville, Brookfield and Norwich.
The second floor of the telephone building was occupied by a dentist, Dr. H. Clay York, who lost all his instruments and account books.
The total loss from the fire was estimated at $50,000. The telephone switchboard, which was a center for nearby communities, was valued at $20,000.

The third big fire happened exactly 13 months later, on March 7, 1929. The fire started at night and it was bitter cold.
This fire destroyed the Central Hotel and other businesses between the site of the Candee Block and Harold Tyler's apartment building.
On the west end it destroyed a three-story building used by Raymond Norton as a garage. It started in this building and spread both ways, east and west. It gutted a house next to the garage but fire fighters kept it from spreading to the apartment building, which at that time was the Huntington and Tyler Garage.
The fire took all of the buildings easterly, down to the Candee Block. First was a meat market, then it jumped over the creek and caught the O'Connor Block. The block held an auto sales, and electric shop, a jewelry store, and the A & P Tea Co. store. There were five apartments on the second floor.
Next the flames ripped through the Melvin and Ruane Blocks, which were occupied by a saloon, barber shop, meat market and confectionery store.
The fire engulfed the wooden Central Hotel before it was halted at the Candee Block.
Despite a new 500-gallon pumper, more help was needed. Fire departments were called in from Deansboro, Utica, Oriskany Falls, Chadwicks and Willowvale.
The brick Candee Block, saved in 1929, stood 53 years before being destroyed in the fourth fire on Jan. 15, 1982. Like the 1929 fire, fire fighters were hampered by the cold night. The temperature hovered at around 0 degrees Fahrenheit, with a sub-zero wind chill factor. On-lookers remarked at how icicles formed on the firemen's hard hats, moustaches and eyebrows. Extra help came from Deansboro, North Brookfield, Willowvale, And Clinton, who supplied their aerial ladder, which was a great help in containing the fire to the one building.
Like the jeweler in 1876, attorney Don Whelley's safe was extracted from the rubble and found intact. Dr. John Upcraft lost the contents of his dental office, as had Dr. York in 1928.
One might note that the first and second fires were 52 years apart; the second and third were 13 months apart and the third and fourth fires were 53 years apart.

Town of Sangerfield History - Durant, 1878

2006-11-19T13:51:00.000-05:00

The following information is from a History of Oneida County,
New York by Samuel W. Durant and published in 1878.

SANGERFIELD

Sangerfield is the westernmost of the southern tier of towns in the county of Oneida, and has an area of 19,188 acres. It includes the greater part of township No. 20, of the Chenango "Twenty Towns," and is watered by the east branch of the Oriskany and the west branch of the Chenango Creeks. Its surface is an upland, from 700 to 800 feet higher than the Mohawk at Utica, and considerably hilly. Along the west branch of the Chenango is what is known as the Great Swamp, extending from near Waterville to the southern border of the town, and averaging a mile in width. It was originally covered with a heavy growth of pine and cedar. The soil in the valleys is a rich alluvium, and that on the hills a gravelly loam. The great industry of this town is the culture of hops, which in most years has been a source of large profit to the inhabitants. Stock-raising is also extensively engaged in, and considerable grain is produced. Bailey's Pond, in the southern part of town, covers about 10 acres, and lies 200 feet above the Great Swamp. It has been sounded to the depth of 120 feet without touching bottom.
Under a law passed in February 1789, this town was surveyed in the summer of that year. In 1790 and 1791 it was purchased of the State upon speculation, chiefly by Michael Myers, Jedediah Sanger, and John J. Morgan, and a considerable portion of it was subsequently leased in perpetuity. The following is a copy of the record of this case, subsequent to the application of the above-named gentlemen:

"The application of Michael Myers, Jedediah Sanger, and John J. Morgan for the purchase of Townships No. 18 and 20, and the parts unsold by the Surveyor-General of Township No. 19, being three of the Twenty Townships surveyed by the Surveyor-General pursuant to an act passed the 25th day of February, 1789. The two first townships, to wit, Nos. 18 and 20, at the rate of 3 shillings and 3 pence per acre, and parts of No. 19 unsold, as above mentioned, at the rate of 3 shillings and 1 penney per acre; one-sixth part thereof to be paid on the 1st day of October next, and the residue in two equal payments, the one-half on the 1st of April, 1792, and the remaining half on the 1st of January, 1793, being read and duly considered. (Accepted.)
"Acres, 67,130 - 10,908 pounds and 15 shillings."

The "Great Swamp" has been drained and converted into valuable meadow-lands, and most of its timber has been cleared away. The town was named from Colonel Jedediah Sanger, one of its original proprietors, and the pioneer of New Hartford. It was formed from Paris, March 5, 1795, and included what is now Bridgewater; and latter was taken off in 1797. From March 15, 1798, to April 4, 1804, the town of Sangerfield was included in Chenango County, but at the latter date an act was passed annexing it to Oneida.

"FIRST TOWN-MEETING, ETC."

"Sangerfield, April 7, 1795.

"Agreeable to a law in that case made and provided, the Freeholders and Inhabitants (qualified to vote for Town Officers) of Sanger met at the house of Zerah Phelps. After the meeting was opened voted to adjourn to the barn.
"2. Made choice of Thomas Brown, Esq., Town Clerk.
"3. Chosen David Norton Supervisor."

The remaining officers chosen were as follows, viz.: Assessor, Joseph Farwell, Daniel Brown, and Ezra Parker; Constables and Collectors, Jonathan Porter and David Chapin; Overseers of the poor, Oliver Norton and Thomas Converse; Commissioners of Highways, Timothy White, Saul Smith, and Oliver Norton; Pathmasters, Jonathan Palmer, Eldad Corbet, John W. Brown, James Kenny, Eri Brooks, Philip King, Asahel Hunt, Jesse Ives, Roger W. Steele, John Phillips, Thomas Stephens, Oliver Eagur, Zerah Phelps, Joel Blair, Solomon Williams, Benjamin White, John Stone, Joseph Putney, Moses Bush, Elias Montgomery, and Thomas Hale; Fence-Viewers, Ezra Parker, Joel Blair, Nathan Gurney, Uri Brooks, and David Norton, Esq.
"Voted to build two pounds: one at or near the house of Ebenezer Moody, and the other near the house of Ebenezer Hale." These two gentlemen were chosen poundmasters.
"Voted to hold the next town-meeting at Timothy White's dwelling-house."

The Supervisor of Sangerfield in 1796 was David Norton; for the four years from 1797 to 1800 inclusive the record is incomplete; those since 1801 have been the following: 1801, Amos Muzzy; 1802, Oliver Norton; 1803-4 Justus Tower; 1805, Benjamin White; 1806-9, Oliver C. Seabury; 1810, John Williams; 1811, O.C. Seabury; 1812, Josiah Bacon; 1813, O.C. Seabury; 1814-20 Josiah Bacon; 1821-23, Reuben Bacon; 1824-27, Samuel M. Mott; 1828, Josiah Bacon; 1829-31, Samuel M. Mott; 1832, Reuben Bacon; 1833, John Mott, Jr.; 1834, Erastus Jeffers; 1835, Levi D. Carpenter; 1836, Erastus Jeffers; 1837-40, Horace Bigelow; 1841-42, Julius Tower; 1843, Horace Bigelow; 1841-42, Julius Tower; 1843, Horace Bigelow; 1844, Otis Webster; 1845, Amos O. Osborn; 1846, Erastus A. Walter; 1847-48, De Witt C. Tower; 1849, John W. Stafford; 1850-51, George W. Cleveland; 1852-54, James M. Tower; 1855, Edwin H. Lamb; 1856, Hull Page; 1857-62, Platt Camp; 1863-76, James G. Preston; 1877-78, Marion B. Crossett. The remaining officers for 1878 are the following: Town Clerk, E.H. Mott, who has held the office continuously since 1852, with the exception of the four years from 1860 to 1863 inclusive; Assessor, William S. Smith; Overseer of the Poor, Delos C. Terry; Collector, Marion J. West; Constables, M.J. West, Isaac H. Benedict, William H. Randell, James D. Terry, William Bardin; Inspectors of Election, District No. 1, Hermon Clark, C.M. Felton, John B. Jones; District No. 2, W.F. Bayless, A.G. Haven, Frank B. Demming; Town Collector, Morris Terry, George Beach, Francis H. Terry; Excise Commissioner, G.N. Lock; Justices of the Peace, George H. Church, L.G. Williams, George W. Cleveland, Orlando Stetson.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The article relating to this town which was published in Judge Jones' history of the county was prepared for him by Amos O. Osborn, of Waterville, and from it we make liberal extracts.
In the fall of 1791, Zerah Phelps, who had previously purchased lot No. 42 in this town, sent his hired man to build a log house upon it. This building stood about a mile southeast of Sangerfield Centre, and was the first tenement erected for a settler in the town. Mr. Phelps was then a resident of the "Green Woods," in Massachusetts.

"About the first of March, 1792, Minierva Hale and wife, and Nathan Gurney and wife and infant, moved into the town from New Hartford, where they had previously resided one or two years. The first day of their journey they reached the house of Simon Hubbard, in the town of Marshall, where they remained overnight. Their conveyances were ox-teams and sleds. On the next morning, the snow being very deep, they made short yokes for their oxen, and using their bed-cords for traces, they drove them tandem, and thus plowed their way to their new farms. The distance from Mr. Hubbard's was but about four miles, but such was the almost impassable state of their route (for road they had none) over hills and logs, across and through creeks, swamps, and thickets, overlaid with at least four feet of snow, that it was quite night before they reached its termination. Mr. Hale had purchased land adjoining the lot of Mr. Phelps, and Mr. Gurney had purchased lot No. 40, now in the village of Waterville, and a part of which was afterwards owned by Aaron Stafford, Esq., whose father, Ichabod Stafford, noticed as among the earliest settlers of Augusta, purchased of Gurney. They both, however, proceeded to the house of Mr. Phelps, who had moved into it only two or three days previously, and here they remained until they built houses for themselves. The three men, their wives, and Gurney's child all occupied the same room, and for the best of reasons, - it was the only one in the house or in the town. In the month of April, when the heavy body of snow on the ground began to melt, their proximity to the creek became a source of considerable annoyance. After a very warm day and night, for the season, upon awaking in the morning, they found a portion of the creek had formed a current directly through the house. A sort of cellar had been dug, large enough for present purposes, under the floor in the centre of the room, of which the water had taken possession, and the pork-barrel was merrily waltzing in the eddy. The women remained in bed while the men waded out and cut large logs, on which to make afire. During the remainder of the day, and until the water subsided, the women performed all their housework while upon their beds. Mr. Gurney immediately went to work upon his land, and was the first settler in Waterville."

In the month of April following Benjamin White came and settled on a farm included in lots Nos. 39 and 40, the same afterwards occupied by Amos Osborn. The same year witnessed a number of new arrivals. Phineas Owen and the father of Nathan Gurney settled on lot No. 40; and in April and May there arrived Sylvanus Dyer, Asahel Bellows, Nathaniel Ford, Henry Knowlton, Jonathan Straton, and a Mr. Clark. These were all the families in town in 1792. Nathaniel Ford was really the first one of the actual settlers that visited the town, as he had helped survey it in 1789, and located upon the lot then selected.
Early in the fall of 1792 a serious frost occurred, which utterly destroyed the corn crop, and frightened away emigrants until 1794; even those already here thought seriously of removing if the next year should prove as unfortunate.
In May, 1792, Mr. Clark has his leg badly crushed by a falling tree, the accident happening on Saturday afternoon. He was taken at once to the house of Mr. Hale, but newly erected, and made as comfortable as circumstances would permit. A surgeon's presence was necessary, and Mr. Hale, mounting the only horse in town, started in quest of one, carrying a torch to light his way, and being guided only by the moss on the north sides of the trees. He arrived early Sunday morning at Whitestown, but finding no physician there who dared to perform amputation, he proceeded to Fort Schuyler, where he found Dr. Guiteau, who returned with him. The doctor examined the man's leg, but did not wish to operate without the aid and counsel of an older practitioner, and Dr. Petrie, of Herkimer, was accordingly sent for. Upon his arrival, on Tuesday, the two, with the assistance of Dr. Elmer, of Paris, amputated the limb.
The first white child born in the town was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Zerah Phelps, whose birth occurred in July, 1792. The family afterwards removed to Batavia, Genesee Co., where another daughter was the first white child born in that town. Mr. Phelps was a member of the first grand jury ever impaneled west of the Genesee River. The first white male child born in Sangerfield was Seneca Hale, son of Mr. and Mrs. Minierva Hale, the date of his birth being Jan. 20 1793.
Several false alarms from Indians occurred during the year 1792, and the settlers prudently made friends of the red denizens of the forest rather than in in any manner to incur their displeasure. The Indian trail -"Oneida Path"- entered the town about two and a half miles east of its northwest corner, and left it but a few rods west of the southeast corner, and sometimes the Indians were seen along it in considerable numbers while on their fishing and hunting expeditions from Oneida to the Unadilla.

"One afternoon, in the early part of October, all the men in the town, eight in number, were collected together, constructing a bridge over the Oriskany Creek, near the subsequent site of the woolen-factory. While thus engaged they heard the hum of many voices, and a scout who was dispatched soon reported that about 150 Indians, of all sizes, were passing on their path to the Unadilla, about 200 rods from where the men were. Mr. Hale, knowing that if nothing worse happened his wife would be sadly frightened, started for his home, but did not arrive as soon as the Indians. Mrs. Phelps, who had just finished baking when she first saw the Indians, left all but her infant and ran to Mr. Hale's, and, on her arrival, Mrs. Hale, who was equally frightened, proposed to run to the men. Mrs. Phelps, however, objected to this, on account of her being burdened with her infant, and at that moment they saw through the window a single Indian approaching the house. Mrs. Hale concluded that the two could conquer him, and, if not, they would meet the worst as they best could. The Indian, who from his appearance she supposed to be the son of a chief, addressed her in the Indian dialect, which of course was not understood. Mrs. Hale, in haste to see the end of the matter, pale and frightened as she was, assumed an air of unconcern, and said, 'If you want anything, use plain language and say what it is; if I have it, you shall have it.' He immediately responded, 'Bread', and was almost as soon supplied with all she had. The Indian took out of his belt of wampum a silver broach, of the value perhaps of a shilling, and offered to pay for the bread, but this was refused, and he was told it was given him. He left with a smile upon his face, and was soon with his comrades, who were in full possession of Mrs. Phelps' house, and a shout of laughter, which made many broad acres of the forest ring, announced his arrival. Mrs. Hale said she presumed the merriment was caused by his description to the Indians of the ridiculous figure she made when, pale and trembling with fear, she assumed so bold an air while addressing him. Mrs. Phelps, to her astonishment, upon returning to her house found her own bread untouched, and everything precisely as she had left it, as if no one had been there." (Jones)

February 9, 1793, Colonel David Norton and his family moved into town from Arlington, Bennington Co., Vt. The colonel kept a diary on his journey the previous year to the western country, on a tour of exploration, from which the following are extracts:

"May 28, 1792.-Set out from Arlington to view the western country.
"June 1.-Rode to Whitestown, thirteen miles from German Flats, to James Ferguson's from thence to Colonel Sanger's, four miles; from thence to Samuel Ferguson's, two miles. Whitestown is mostly level; the soil rich, but poorly watered. The timber is maple, beech, elm, bass, hemlock, and butternut.
"Monday, June 4.- West to Clinton, and thence through the Indian lands, the soil of which is excellent, the ground being covered with nettles and other herbage, four miles; from thence to the twentieth township, which is thirteen miles from Colonel Sanger's, by way of Clinton, and lodged at Stratton's.
"Thursday, June 7.-A rainy day; viewed in other parts of the town. Land rich, hilly, and well watered. Lodged at Dyer's.
"Friday, June 8.-Went to view lots No. 41, 38, and 27. Level; timber mostly maple, with some bass, elm, beech, butternut, cherry, and two cedar swamps, with pine and hemlock; a branch of the Arisca (Oriskany) running through 38, and a small pond on 27. Lodged at Stratton's
"Saturday, June 9.- Returned to Colonel Sanger's by Colonel Tuttle's (Paris Hill), and bought of Colonel Sanger lots Nos. 38 and 27, and tarried at Samuel Ferguson's"

Colonel Norton became one of the most prominent men in the settlement. He was the first justice of the peace, the first supervisor, the first captain and first colonel in the militia, and the first postmaster after the post-office was removed to the centre. His name appears almost uniformly foremost in all the early enterprises of the town, be they religious, civil, political, or social. The first wedding in town was that of his eldest daughter, Hannah Norton, and Sylvanus Dyer, whose marriage took place Oct. 30, 1793, the ceremony being performed by Esquire Tuttle, as his first attempt in that line. Every person in the town was invited, and not one failed to be present.
As previously stated, the season of 1792 was disastrous to the crops of the settlers, and matters appeared gloomy enough. However, in 1793 affairs brightened, corn and all other kinds of grain which had been sown ripened to the greatest perfection, and the hearts of the pioneers were made glad and their granaries overflowed with the plenitude of the harvest, and the following year, 1794, witnessed the arrival in the town, during the spring and summer, of about forty families. Among there were Daniel Brown, Saul Smith, Thomas King, Daniel King, Solomon Williams, Samuel Williams, Justus and Ebenezer Hale, and Benjamin Dewey. The latter purchased a lot of Colonel Sanger. It is said he was the creditor of a person for whom, by an arrangement, the colonel was to pay the debt in land. The latter accompanied Mr. Dewey to point out to him his land, and took his first to lot No. 44, then bearing a most gloomy and uninviting aspect, but since having become very productive. Dewey, after viewing it to his satisfaction "felt indignant, and considered it an insult that the colonel should seek to pay an honest debt with such a tangled solitary waste, and turning to the colonel, he impatiently exclaimed, 'Well, colonel, if you have got any more land just show it, for I'll not take this bear's hole anyway!'"
The first framed house in town was built by Zerah Phelps, and the second by Ebenezer Hale. In those days bricks were exceedingly scarce, and none could be procured with which to build ovens. Mrs. Minierva Hale was the fortunate possessor of a bake-kettle, which, being the only one in the settlement, was consequently in great demand, and hardly had time to cool. Mrs. Ebenezer Hale said she baked in it altogether the flour and meal of forty-two bushels of grain, mostly by the fire of burning log-heaps in the clearings. This is two bushels ahead of Mrs. Samuel Royce, the wife of one of the first settlers of Camden, who, during the first summer that she lived in that town, baked eight barrels of flour in her bake-kettle. That convenient utensil, in Mrs. Hale's case, was finally allowed to rest, as Mr. Hale secured some bricks in the fall and built a bake-oven, when his wife in turn dispensed its benefits to the neighborhood.
In this year (1794) Justus and Ebenezer Hale opened at their dwelling-house the first store in town, and also furnished accommodations to travelers.
During the same summer the first school was taught by Polly Dyer, in the house of Colonel Norton.
The first death - that of Sibyl Knowlton, daughter of Henry Knowlton - occurred the same season, and her mother died about a month afterwards. They were buried near the residence of Nathaniel Ford.
In consideration for naming this town Sangerfield, Colonel Sanger agreed to present a cask of rum at the first town-meeting, and fifty acres of land to the church of any religious denomination which should build the first house for public worship.

"Many of the first settlers had selected New Lisbon as the name for their new town, and their disappointment and chagrin were manifested by giving that name to the Congregational society which was formed soon afterwards, and thus they made the society with the rejected name the recipient of Colonel Sanger's bounty. It does not appear that the colonel was at all chargeable with the 'unfair means' which were attributed by those displeased with the name to those who had been instrumental in procuring it. His promise was honorably fulfilled by furnishing a cask of choice run for the first town-meeting, and by conveying twenty-five acres of land to the Congregational society and twenty-five acres to the Baptists, the former being the first religious society and the latter erecting the first church edifice. The two twenty-five acre lots were parts of lot No. 45.

The number of taxable inhabitants in what is now Sangerfield, in 1796, was 85; the total assessment of real and personal property was $4475, and tax upon it, including collector's fees ($5.35), was $108.56. The highest individual tax was that of Benjamin White, who paid the sum of $5.04.
In September, 1795, Dr. Stephen Preston became a resident of the town, and was the first physician who settled within its limits. For over thirty years he enjoyed an extensive practice, and was also for many years a justice of the peace.
Daniel Eels, Sr., settled in that part of Sangerfield afterwards included in Bridgewater in 1796, but in 1797 removed to New Hartford, where he died. He was a native of Connecticut, and a veteran of the Revolution, being one of the number who aided in throwing up the earthwork at Bunker Hill on the night of June 16, 1775.

SCHOOLS.

The first school in the town of Sangerfield has been mentioned. From the town records it appears that the proportion of school moneys appropriated for the town of Sangerfield in 1795, by the Board of Supervisors of Herkimer County, was 46 pounds. The Supervisors at that time were James Dean, Roswell Fellows, Ludwick Campbell, David Norton, Joshua Remington, Joseph Jennings, Isaac Brayton, Stephen Hoxie.
Schools were established as they became necessary in various parts of the town, and from the first have been well sustained, even when only lines of blazed trees showed the children the way to the primitive log buildings in which they received the rudiments of an education. The schools at present in existence in the town are in a flourishing condition. Select schools have in several instances existed for longer or shorter periods.
The present union school building in Waterville was erected in 1872, at a cost of $20,000. The school has four departments, - academic, grammar, primary and sub-primary. The annex, used for the sub-primary department, is a two-story frame building, standing thirty feet north of the main structure, and was purchased in the spring of 1878; it was formerly used as a dwelling. Nine teachers are employed, the principal for 1878 being George R. Cutting. The school is regularly graded, and has the entire attendance of the village, averaging from 350 to 400. The total value of the school property, exclusive of furniture, is about $25,000. The Board of Education consists of the following persons, viz.: G.H. Church, President; H.P. Bigelow, Secretary; C.B. Terry, W.B. Candee, F.H. Terry, M.P. Cady, J.J. Bennett, H.J. Coggeshall, W.B. Goodwin.

RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES.

Congregational Church, Sangerfield Centre.- On the 5th day of January, 1794, a subscription paper was circulated to raise funds to pay for preaching. On the 14th of the same month a meeting was held to appoint a committee to carry into effect the wishes of the settlers. David Norton was chairman, and Nathan Gurney clerk. The members of the committee were Nathaniel Ford, Ebenezer Tenney, and Justus Hale. The last vote passed at this meeting was, "that the above committee-men shall hire a minister four Sundays on probation." This was the first organized effort to secure preaching, and the germ of the First Congregational Society. Religious services were usually held on Sunday, from January, 1785, to March, 1797, with occasional preaching by the Rev. Mr. Steele, Rev. Aaron Bogue, Rev. Mr. Minor, Rev. Mr. Mozier, and Rev. Mr. Crane. Regular meetings were held at Colonel Norton's, at the centre at the house of Giles Mix, who lived at the east end of the settlement; and at the house of Ebenezer Tenney, in the west part of town. Late in 1795, or early in 1796, the First Congregational Society was formed, known as the "Society of Lisbon, in Sangerfield." The style of the society was variously written as the "Trustees of Lisbon Society," "Trustees of the Lisbon Congregational Society," and "The First Congregational Society of Sangerfield." The church was formally organized as an independent body March 15, 1797, with eighteen members, - eleven males and seven females. The first settled pastor was Rev. James Thompson, who labored here from 1800 to 1806. Among the early pastors were Revs. Samuel Rich, from 1806 to 1816, Evans Beardsley, 1816 to 1823; John D. Pierce, 1825 to 1830; J.J. Lombard, 1831-32; F.H. Ayers, 1834-35; John B. Fish, 1838-44; E.S. Barrows,
Mr. Beecher, Mr. Butts, and Mr. Wilkins. A house of worship was erected by the society in 1804 on the village green at the centre. This green is eighteen rods wide and forty long, and was conveyed to the society for that purpose, Oct. 17, 1796, by David Norton, Ebenezer Hale, Justus Hale, and Oliver Norton. In 1823 about half the congregation withdrew, and formed the first Presbyterian Church and Society. They removed their house of worship in 1824 to a lot a short distance north, on the road to Waterville. It was taken down in 1846, and the present one erected.
The Congregationalists at the centre now attend services at Waterville, and the church at the former place is occupied by an Episcopal mission, services being held every Sunday by Rev. William L. Mott, who preaches also at "CongarTown", or Stockwell Settlement, at Oriskany Falls and at Augusta Centre. The membership of the mission at Sangerfield Centre is made up of communicants of Grace Church at Waterville, and the number is small. The Congregationalists do not hold meetings at the centre, owing to the proximity of a larger church and society at Waterville.
Baptist Church, Waterville.- Previous to the 14th of April, 1798, the Baptists had met with the Congregationalists, but finally, wishing to hold meetings according to their own faith, they resolved to form a society. Accordingly, on the above date, eight persons met at the house of White Osborn, and formed themselves into a society for worship, which they held as regularly as possible until the 19th of the following December, when they met at Benjamin White's, in Waterville, and were received into the fellowship of the neighboring associate churches. The first clergyman who preached to them was Elder Peter P. Roots, and their first settled pastor Elder Joe Butler, who commenced his labors early in 1799. In 1800 a house of worship was erected on the "Green," as the entire triangular plat now in the centre of the village was then called. This land had been granted them by Benjamin White for that and other church purposes. This church was taken down in 1833, and the present brick one erected on its site the same year. The "Green" is now all inclosed and built over.
Elder Butler remained here about five years. Elder Joy Handy preached a short time in the early part of 1806, and Elder Hezekiah Eastman preached occasionally, as the people desired. From 1807 to 1814 the church barely existed, and had but occasional preaching. In June of the latter year Rev. John Upfold became pastor, and remained three years, and among his successors were Revs. Joel Clark, 1817 to 1823; Daniel Putnam, 1824-32; Chancellor Hartshorn, 1833-37; Warham Walker, 1838-41 David Wright, 1841-43; John N. Murdock, 1843-46; George W. Davis, 1846-47; Mr. Pierce, 1847-48; and L.H. Hayhurst, 1849. The present pastor is Rev. G.J. Travis, and the membership (June 7, 1878) 125. In June, 1877, repairs were completed upon the church amounting to $5000, and the present value of the church property is estimated at $10,000, besides a parsonage worth $1800. In the tower of the church is the town-clock. A Sabbath-school is sustained with a membership of 120, and an average attendance of about 70. It possesses a library of 150 volumes; the pastor is the Superintendent.
First Presbyterian Church, Waterville.- This church was organized May 19, 1823, by twenty persons, who presented letters of dismission from the Congregational Church in Sangerfield. Rev. Evans Beardsley became the first stated supply, and retained the position until April 27, 1824. During the latter year Rev. Daniel C. Hopkins was installed pastor, and remained until 1828. Rev. John R. Adams was stated supply in 1829 and was succeeded by Rev. E.S. Barrows, who was installed pastor, and remained until 1833. Succeeding him some of the pastors have been, - Revs. Aaron Garrison, 1833, until February, 1836; Salmon Strong, stated supply; Joseph Myers, Oct 5, 1836, to June, 1839; John Frost, who died in 1843; Samuel W. Whelpley, pastor a short time; E.S. Barrows, stated supply till April, 1845; and A.D. Gridley, who began his labors in May, 1845, and was installed pastor Feb. 22, 1847. Mr. Gridley held the position for a long term. He was the author of the excellent "History of Kirkland," published in 1874, and is since deceased. He was deservedly popular, and a man of large attainments, fine social abilities, and all the qualities of a true gentleman.
This society erected its first house of worship in the summer of 1823, on the "Green," purchased and prepared for that purpose, in the west part of the village. In 1844 this building was sold to the Methodists, and a new frame structure erected on the site of the present elegant brick edifice, in the central part of the village. The latter was built in 1872, and, including the lot, cost $37,000. It is the finest house of public worship in the village, and has a seating capacity of about 600. It occupies, aside from the lot on which the former church stood, and adjoining lot, previously the site of a dwelling. In the tower of the church is an 1800-pound bell, manufactured by Meneeley & Kimberly, of Troy, N.Y. The present pastor is Rev. Albert H. Corliss, whose brother, George H. Corliss, was the inventor of the famous stationary steam-engine at the Philadelphia Exposition of 1876. The membership in June, 1878, was 190. The Sabbath-school has an average attendance of about 135, and possesses a library
of 350 volumes. Its superintendent is C. Wilson, M.D.
Grace Church (Episcopal), Waterville. - Rev. Fortune C. Brown was the first rector of this church, which was organized in 1840, and he continued until 1845. In 1842 the society organized as "The Wardens and Vestrymen of Grace Church, Waterville," and erected the church now owned by the Welsh Congregationalists. Among other early rectors were Revs. David M. Fackler, William A. Matson, and J.H. Benedict. The present rector is the Rev. Thomas Bell, who is also Superintendent of the Sabbath-school. The present frame church was built in 1854, and consecrated June 15 of that year, by Rt. Rev. William H. DeLancey, Rev. William T. Gibson being rector at the time. The present value of the church property, aside from the rectory, is $12,000, and that of the latter $3500. The communicants in June, 1878, numbered 93. The attendance at Sunday-school averages 75 or 80. The school has a library of 100 volumes.
In 1843 the "Congar Settlement" society of the Methodist Episcopal Church was formed, and the old Presbyterian Church edifice in Waterville purchased. It was sold in the winter of 1848-49. In April, 1847, the second Methodist Episcopal Church was organized, and a neat house of worship built at "Congar Settlement," or more properly Stockwell Settlement.
Methodist Episcopal Church, Waterville. - Previous to 1857 Waterville had been in a circuit with other places, Deansville (town of Marshall), etc. In 1857 it was organized as a separate society, and was one of three appointments - Waterville, Sangerfield Centre, and "Congar Town" - then under the pastoral care of Rev. F.W. Tooke, brother of the present pastor. The frame church owned by the society in Waterville was erected in 1860, at a cost of about $5000. It is at present valued at $9000, and the parsonage at $3500. In 1857 the members in the charge (three stations) numbered 97. The society at Waterville now has a membership of 112, with 31 probationers (June, 1878). The Sabbath-school has a membership of 133, and is superintended by the pastor. Its library contains 175 volumes. The following is a list of the pastors of this church since 1857: Revs. F.W. Tooke, R.S. Southworth, Loren Eastwood, O.H. Warren, G.C. Elliott, Charles Morgan, I.D. Peaslee, A.L. York, J.C. Darling, C.W. Brooks, the the present incumbent, Rev. W.F. Tooke.
St. Bernard's Catholic Church, Waterville - We are unable to give a history of this church, from the failure of its pastor, Rev. Father T.W. Reilly, to send us the desired information as promised. It has been in existence probably about thirty years, and has a considerable membership.
The Welsh Congregational Church, Waterville, was organized in 1852. The building used by the society is the one formerly occupied by the Episcopalians, and has been to some extent repaired. The subject of building a new church is agitated. The pastors of this church have been Revs. Edward Davies, now of the village, Mr. Roberts, Mr. Owen, and Benjamin Williams, - the latter still in charge. The membership in June, 1878, was about 100, made up mostly of people living in the adjoining town of Marshall. Isaac Jones is Superintendent of the Sabbath-school.

MILITARY.

A number of the pioneers of this town were veterans of the great struggle for independence, and their sons performed valiant duty during the second war with the subjects of the British crown; and when volunteers were called to suppress a rebellion in the home-country, hundreds sprang to arms, and the vacant places in various home-circles and the grassy graves on the sanguinary fields of the South tell the sad tale that not all returned. The following is a list of those who volunteered from this town, compiled from the records in the town clerk's office:
Company I, 26th Infantry. - Henry J. Flint, Lieutenant; William P. Gifford, Third Lieutenant; Alonzo Thompson, Second Corporal; George M. Hotchkins, Fourth Corporal. Privates: Oscar M. Atwell, died of wounds; J.E. Montgomery, John Garvey, Richard Fenn, Stanton Park, Jr., J.T. Burroughs, Charles P. Williams, A.B. Cleveland, Peter Bardun, James Cox, Owen Graham, Henry A. Webster, William Plunkett, Stephen Duffy, George W. Ritter, Eugene R. Wood, John Leavins, Seymour Hayes, Oscar Burdic.
81st Infantry. - Walter C. Newbury, Captain; Lewis B. Chase, Corporal; William H. McKee, Corporal. Privates: Erastus Bugbee, Alfred Bugbee, Henry Ellis, Eager Gilbert, John Jones, William Kent, Llewellyn King, Peter Lord, John Livermore, John Myers, John J. Owens, Pulaski Rhodes, William Shaw, Thomas Westnage, James K. Walters, Joseph Witsenbarger, Calvin Wheat, William Bridon, Ezra S. Beebe, David W. Davis, Sables W. Davis, Albert Johnson, Julius Clarke, Henry Clarke, Samuel Oliver, Leroy Palmer, Daniel Patterson, Charles Davis, Rufus K. Cheadell, Lewis Williams, C.E. Green, James Burney, Joseph Petrie, John Scott, Edward Jones, Alonzo O. Main, Henry Button, John Jones (re-enlisted), A. Gilbert, Albert Johnson, William Kemp, Joseph Witsenbarger, Pulaski Rhodes, L.B. Chase, Erastus Bugbee, Frank Post, Captain William Breden.
117th Infantry. - Edwin Risley, Lieutenant. Privates: George Dearflinger, Myron Wait, Charles W. Vibbard, William T. Kelly, William H. Carpenter, John Jones, Andrew F. Childs, C.A. Munger, George B. Day, Andrew F. Rowell (killed), Jerome Burdick, Ira Spencer, William Jordan, Albert Beebe, Sylvanus D. Brown, Henry S. Rowell, Cornelius A. Nolan, Henry Baldwin, Elias A. Brown, Samuel Shipman, John Reed, George R. Russell, Rowland E. Jones, James Jones, John H. Jones, Michael Cary, Benjamin Judd, John Davis, James B. Cox, Charles H. Malone, Thomas Keen, Michael Dowd, Charles Edsell, John Whalen.
3d Artillery.- A.M. Lewis, Levi Hubbard, Patrick Mahony, George P. Hotchkins, Joseph Wicks.
97th Infantry. - William Shepherd, James E. Johnson.
146th Infantry. - Privates: John Owens, David B. Lack (killed in service), David Edwards, Joseph Whalen, Addison Cheesbrough (wounded at Petersburg died), James Gibson (died of wounds), Chester E. Burgett, John Burnham (died in service), Lucien S.Tooley (wounded at Wilderness, Va.; died), John Reckhard, Charles L. King, Joseph Penner (died of wounds in rebel prison), William R. Hopkins, Edward Morris (died in rebel prison), Charles Risley (died of wounds), George W. Wright (severely wounded), Henry Penner, Rensselaer Wright; A.J. Wilson, lieutenant.
14th Heavy Artillery. - Byron H. Reynolds, Sidny Smith (died in service), William S. Cheesebrough (died in service), Volney D. Carter, John H. Padley, Albert A. Mack, Francis D. Young, Henry A. Champlain, George Denn, John Lovell, Andrew C. Nelson (wounded in shoulder), Henry A. Rhodes, Scott Hayes, P.F. Avery, George Jackson, John Stoner.
Scott's Nine Hundred. - James H. Young (died in service), Dennis Cain, George Russell.
10th Cavalry. - H.A. Webster
15th Cavalry. - Isaiah Bellfield
20th Cavalry. - John E. Wheaton.
24th Cavalry. - M.Y. Hill, John E. Walker.
25th Cavalry. - Abram Beeker.
133d Infantry. - John Regan.
157th Infantry. - George G. Clark, Fred. C. Hall, J.F. Martin.
101st Infantry. - Peter Nolan, Rowland Roberts, Thomas Murphy, Lyman VanAllen, Darwin Dennison, Stafford Williams, Spencer Allen.
51st Infantry. - James Butler.
91st Infantry.- Charles E. Norton, Amos Drake.
184th Infantry. - George H. Williams, James Brady.
192d Infantry. - Joseph McCarthy, Thomas Howard, Francis Gilchrist, James Robinson, William Ward, Patrick Reilly, Joseph Barton, Thomas Goff, Frank LaBare, Thomas Moore, James Rankin, William Smith, John Smith, William Shanger, Thomas Davidson, Michael Reilly, Patrick McCarthy, Charles Stanton, John Cooney.
Navy. - P.R. Huggins, John La M. Russell, Albert Cheesebrough.

SANGERFIELD CENTRE.

This place lies a mile and a quarter south of Waterville, and now contains a post-office, a store, two hotels, three blacksmith-shops, two wagon-shops, and a shoe-shop. It was once the village of the town, but it was in time forced to give way to Waterville. The post-office here is called Sangerfield, and was removed from Waterville in 1808, at which time Colonel David Norton was appointed first postmaster. He held the office until his death, which occurred in 1829, and he was universally mourned by all his acquaintances. His son-in-law, Daniel North, was appointed in his place, and held the office until subsequent to 1850. The present incumbent is E.H. Mott, who is also town clerk, and proprietor of the only store in the place.

William Osborn

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(The following information is from the History of Oneida County by Wager and is found in Section 3 on page 68)

Osborn, William was born in Sangerfield, May 9, 1809. As a boy he worked in his father's store and taught school for two winters. At the age of twenty-seven he was one of the commissioners for distributing the stock of the Oneida National Bank. In 1837 he went to Michigan to join an emigrating corps to locate the line of the Michigan Central Railway, and in 1841 he returned to Waterville and engaged in farming until 1845, when he sold his farm, excepting ten acres for a homestead and went to Missouri, where he took an interest in the contract for building the Hannibal and St. Joseph Railroad, a contract amounting to $6,000,000, and they completed the railroad in 1849-50. He then organized the company to build the flat country railroad to Council Bluffs. In 1865 he took the contract to construct the central branch of the Union Pacific Railroad extending from Atchinson 100 miles west. All of his railroad contracts were of large magnitude, and were carried through most successfully by him. In 1830 he married Amelia Waldo, by whom he had one son and six daughters.

This grand residence was built as a wedding present for the daughter of a "Col. Wm. Osborne" and it's always been presumed that the "railroad man" was the Father of the Bride.

Chas. Terry First in Seattle

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Seattle at 150:

Charles Terry's unlimited energy influenced a city

Tuesday, October 23, 2001

By JAMES R. WARREN
SPECIAL TO THE POST-INTELLIGENCER

Charles C. Terry left his home state of New York in 1849 and sailed south, but it was in the distant Pacific Northwest that he was destined to leave his mark -- by and by.

Terry, born in Waterville, N.Y., in 1830, sailed for Panama at age 19. He crossed the isthmus by mule train and headed north to the California gold rush.

The home that Charles Terry built for his bride on the northwest corner of Third Avenue and James Street was considered one of the finest in Washington Territory in the 1850s and '60s.

Two years later, he decided to inspect the Willamette Valley of Oregon. He met up with members of Arthur and David Denny's party in Portland and joined them when the ship Exact departed for Elliott Bay.

Charles Terry's brother, Lee Terry, was on the west shore of Elliott Bay already, helping David Denny build a log cabin for the John Low family. Within a year of their arrival, the Terry brothers and John Low had selected claims on this point of land, while the Dennys and other founders chose the east side of the bay.

Before leaving Portland, Terry bought a stock of tinware, axes, tobacco, whiskey and brandy for a store he would open on Puget Sound. Once he reached his destination, he ordered barrels of pork, gallons of molasses, 800 pounds of hard bread, a case of boots and shoes, materials for clothing, hickory shirts, window sashes and window glass from passing ship captains. He hurriedly built a tiny cabin visible to passing ships and opened a store.

In 1853, the Terry brothers and John Low hired Arthur Denny, a surveyor, to lay out a town site at Alki, which they named "New York" after the Terrys' home state.

During the next five years the two new settlements, New York and Seattle, were competitors -- each with its own stores and sawmill. Both villages shipped lumber and fish to San Francisco.

In these early days, an anonymous pioneer with a sense of humor modified the name of New York by appending the Chinook word "alki" -- which means "by and by." Today, the site of the settlement is known as Alki Point.

Charles Terry wed Mary Jane Russell in 1856, and they became a popular couple in the tiny village of Seattle

Days after Terry's store opened, the first edition of the first Puget Sound newspaper, The Columbian, was printed in Olympia. Its rudimentary press, which is now on display at Seattle's Museum of History & Industry, later printed the early Seattle Post-Intelligencer.

An advertisement that appeared in early newspapers for Charles Terry's "New York Cash Store" read:

"Chas. C. Terry and Co., thankful for past favors, take this opportunity to inform their numerous friends and customers that they still continue at their well-known stand in the town of New York on Puget Sound, where they keep constantly on hand and for sale at the lowest prices, all kinds of merchandise usually required in a new Country."

In 1853, John Low sold his property to Terry and moved his family to Olympia. Lee Terry, lonesome for female company, returned to New York and left his claim for his brother.

Arthur Denny's granddaughter Roberta Frye Watt wrote: "Charles Terry was now the dominating figure on the peninsula. Due to his salesmanship, New York-Alki began to hum, many immigrants stopping there in preference to coming to Seattle. With unlimited energy, this young man of 23 was shaping the wilderness into what he believed was to be a great city."

In April 1853, the Columbian carried a news item that began: "Our enterprising friend, C.C. Terry, has made an excellent change of name for his flourishing town hitherto called New York. It is henceforth to be known by the name of 'Alki.' We never fancied the name of New York on account of its inappropriateness; but Alki ... is a pretty word meaning 'in a little while,' and we approve its application to a growing and hopeful place. Well done, friend Terry."

Even after six blocks of eight lots each had been platted in the town of Alki, Seattle began to dominate local society and commerce. The Alki plat eventually was vacated and a half-century would pass before the area was incorporated as part of Seattle.

Terry, however, did manage to acquire land that would appreciate in value. He bought a major part of Carson Boren's property in what is now downtown Seattle. He traded his less valuable Alki property for Dr. Maynard's unsold lots in the Pioneer Square area and bought a large farm on the Duwamish River.

Today in Seattle, which once competed with his settlement of New York-Alki, a major street is named for Charles Terry.

In 1854, Terry traveled to the East Coast to transact business and visit his family. In those prerailroad days the journey consumed several months and cost about $1,000, a fortune back then.

Shortly after he returned to Seattle, he found a wife. On July 13, he married Mary Jane Russell, whose family had once lived at Alki.

Terry's business success allowed him to build what was described as "one of the finest residences in Washington Territory" at the northwest corner of Third Avenue and James Street.

When Charles Terry learned that Arthur Denny's donation of land for the original University of Washington campus was short nearly two of the 10 acres needed, he quickly gave the difference from adjacent property that he and Judge Edward Lander owned.

By 1867, Seattle was home to nearly 1,000 residents and the population was increasing. Charles Terry had long promoted the development of Seattle as Puget Sound's developing major metropolis.

The Intelligencer of Feb. 18, 1867, reported Terry had died, probably of consumption, at age 37.

Clarence Bagley lauded Charles Terry with these words: "It seems hardly credible that so young a man should have accomplished so much under all the adverse conditions of pioneer life on Puget Sound."

"Fine Views About Waterville"

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Fine Views About Waterville

by Amos O. Osborn

from the Waterville Times, August 24, 1876.

If any of the people of Waterville are at a loss what to visit or where to go in the neighborhood, either for a picnic or to gratify a love for the beautiful in nature, they may find such places within half an hour's ride of the village. The prettiest place for rock and brook scenery is in the east glen or ravine, which may be entered at the residence of Samuel Blair on the road to Hard Scrabble. The main ravine, which is the east one, entered farthest from Blair's house, has two branches, both of which begin on the southerly side of Tassel Hill not more than one hundred and fifty feet from the extreme top, and they come together at a beautiful waterfall twenty in elevation and about eighty rods north of the site of the old sawmill. There are two or three smaller waterfalls above and below and there is a rapidly ascending rock-bed throughout the whole ravine. New views appear at every turn of the brook and all are pretty and sufficiently varied. The place is everywhere shaded with forest trees and shrubbery and is delightfully cool this hot weather. Of course, at this season there is very little water running, making it easy to walk although in places somewhat slippery. For drinking, there is near the first fall an abundant spring of cold water standing at 48 degrees, coming from the rocks eighteen or twenty feet above, and the water of the brook at 65 degrees is pure and sweet to drink. Very nearly the same description may be given of the ravine immediately north and nearest the place of entrance at Blair's house, although not on the whole so fine. Should a party wish to visit Tassel Hill, and feel able to walk a mile of the distance, this whole glen could be traversed from Blair's to their sources. The conveyances after leaving them there, could go around by the road, and return with the party from the north side of the summit at Williams'. In this way they could satisfactorily see the whole of the ravine and have the splendid mountain view from the hill. An additional interest is given to this place from the fact that it all passes over the Marcellus shale. Indeed, this important subdivision in the classification of the rocks of the State can all be seen by tracing it up the Mark Harvey brook, and these ravines from the "coal" seam and thro' a distance of over two miles, and to an elevation of seven hundred feet to the top of Tassel Hill. In the bed of the creek, in both ravines and branches, are found many of its charactaristic fossils, and the septeria (petrified turtles) found in it, all through the State, are here quite abundant five hundred feet above its base.

Another view of very fine and wilder rock scenery may be had at the waterfall on the creek running northerly near the residence of Michael Saunders and coming into clearing on land belonging to James Young. This waterfall is on a scale of greater magnitude, being about eighty feet high and flanked with corresponding precipices belonging to the upper series of the same group of rocks. A person wishing to visit this place might go by way of the residence of James Young, stopping to take a drink at his well, which is three degrees colder than any well in Waterville, being 45 degrees. (The Waterville water is 48 degrees this time of year.)

There is still another ravine, on a much smaller scale, very near the road on the east branch of the creek running through the same land and near the school house at Riley's.

Another place well worth visiting is on the outlet of Bailey's pond, in the south part of the town, on the farm of E.W. Beebe. This ravine may be entered at the old sawmill a few rods south of the residence of W.O. Gorton. Here the perpendicular fall is not far from seventy feet and the rocks about it still higher in the Hamilton series, present a broken and jagged appearance. The rock forming all these waterfalls contains in great numbers the fossil known to geologists as the curtain fucoid of the Hamilton group, and is readily seen at a glance. Being harder than the rocks above and below, time and wear have given them their precipitous character. The highest or second fucoid fall in ascending is four hundred feet above the "coal" seam on Silas Clark's land near the village, and this seam is only some six or eight feet above the corniferous limestone.

There is a pretty waterfall not much further off in Marshall on what is there called Turkey Creek; and as it is on another rock - the waterlime - and has a peculiar interest scientifically, is it well worth a visit. In season this is a good trout brook.

Forge Hollow Caves

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From the Rome Daily Sentinel, November 30, 1937

Forge Hollow Caves Sources of Fossils and Many Legends

Legends of fact and fancy surround the two caves at Forge Hollow, which for decades have both mystified and amused natives of this territory on the Deansboro-Waterville road.
The rock formations within these caves have yielded many interesting fossils of scientific value. A scarab fossil, discovered by Amos Osborne of Waterville, has been taken to the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, where it has been placed on exhibition.
The caves, located adjacently, are crammed with ice practically all fall and winter. Miniature cascades fall over the entrances to both.
Several legends are connected with the caves. According to one story, an explorer many years ago found a good-sized lake hidden in the inner recesses of one cavern. This allegation, however, has never been proved to the knowledge of present-day inhabitants of the area. At one time or another all sorts of ghostly and mysterious events are supposed to have taken place within the caves. The caves are low, and progress through them can be made only by crawling, so it is difficult to prove or disprove any of the characteristic myths told about them.
About 75 years ago the ravine formed by the caves was filled with a wide-spreading pond, extending from what is now a school house to the nearby hill. Across from the caves was a dam which operated "Finney's Forge," from which Forge Hollow derives its name.
The rock openings have no specific name, but are known merely as "the caves" to residents of Waterville, Deansboro and vicinity.

Col. Wm. Cary Sanger Obituary

2006-11-18T15:57:00.000-05:00

This obituary is on page five of the Waterville Times dated December 9, 1921.

COL. WM. CARY SANGER DIED TUESDAY AFTER OPERATION IN BROOKLYN

LONG AND PROMINENT IN STATE AND NATIONAL AFFAIRS

Will be Greatly Missed in Many Local Organizations
With Which He Was Connected

Col. William Cary Sanger died from pneumonia in a Brooklyn hospital last Tuesday, December 6th, following an operation. With his family he left his home near here last month for Brooklyn. He had planned after a short stay there to spend the winter in the south. While in Brooklyn his physical condition became such that a slight operation was thought advisable. He was operated upon last week Thursday and apparently rallied from the effects of it according to advices received by his friends here the latter part of the week. His condition, however, became worse, pneumonia developed, and he failed rapidly until the end.
Col. Sanger was born in Brooklyn, the son of Henry and Mary E. Requa Sanger, May 21, 1853. He lived for many years on Brooklyn Heights, attending Polytechnic Institute. He was graduated from Harvard in 1874, and later attended the Columbia Law School, graduating from there in 1878 with the degree of LL. B.
Mr. Sanger opened an office and practiced law in New York City for a time and presumably would have had a successful career in that profession had he determined to follow it. He was interested, however, in country life and it was attractive to him. Accordingly, he purchased a handsome property in the town of Sangerfield not far from the village of Waterville, a region with which his family had been identified ever since white men settled in this section.

Large Land Holder.

Col. Sanger acquired a large area of land in this section, and erected on Sanger Hill commanding a wide view, a very handsome stone edifice which was commodious and supplied with every modern convenience and attraction. Here he passed his summers, surrounded by his family and friends, dispensing hospitality and affording positive pleasure to very many. The house is one of the finest in this section of the country, dignified in architecture and thoroughly attractive within and without. The farm connected with the property is in charge of an expert and the best stock, appliances and methods were utilized.
Several years since Col. Sanger was instrumental in establishing the Sangerfield Country Club which occupied the house where he formerly lived, a property which lent itself readily to such purposes. The membership was not confined to residents of the town of Sangerfield but included people from various sections of Oneida County, a good many being from Utica, and it was frequently visited during the automobile season.
It was customary there to hold one or two farmers' meetings every summer, addressed by men of prominence, and the occasion was always largely attended and thoroughly enjoyed. It provided not only a pleasant outing for those present but the discussions were entertaining and helpful.
In politics, Col. Sanger was a Republican. Not long after coming to Sangerfield he took an active interest in public affairs and was elected member of the Assembly from the second district of Oneida County. He held this office three terms, 1895-97, inclusive, rendering very valuable service to his constituents and the state.

Active in Military Affairs

Col. Sanger always took a lively interest in military affairs. He was an honorary member of Company G, 21st Regiment, N. G. N. Y. he served on the staff of Gen. McLear as quartermaster and inspector major of the 13th Regiment. He was a state inspector assistant chief of artillery in the state militia and was held in high regard and respect by the officers and members of the National Guard.
When war with Spain was declared Col. Sanger volunteered and his ability was recognized by making him lieutenant colonel of the 203d Volunteer Infantry, U. S. A. He went with the regiment, devoting him assiduously to the task and doing excellent work.
The regiment was in camp for some time in the south, but the war was over before it saw active service and at its conclusion Col. Sanger resigned his commission.
Following his appointment by President McKinley as Assistant Secretary of War under Secretary Root, he took charge of militia activities, and during the absence of Mr. Root at the Alaskan Boundary Tribunal conference in London, was in charge of the War Department.
During the world war he was in Washington as director of military relief, Potomac Division, American Red Cross. He was head of the United States delegation to the international conference in Geneva in 1906 to revise the treaty of 1814, and was chairman of a National Guard commission appointed by Governor Hughes in 1907. He was a trustee of Hamilton College, and was a member of many colonial societies. In 1911 to 1913 he was president of the State Hospital Commission.

Long a Mason.

Col. Sanger was a member of Sanger Lodge, No. 129, F. & A. M. He was a member of the Oneida Historical Society and served as its president. He belonged to the Colonial Order of Acorns, and at one time was its chancellor. He belonged to the New York State Society of Colonial Wars and was once its governor. He was a member of the Order of Founders and Patriots and was chosen it governor general.
When the Oneida County League for Good Roads was established, he was elected president and was much interested in the work. He was a vestryman of Grace Episcopal Church of Waterville. He was a valued member of the Pickwick Club. He belonged to various other organizations, local and otherwise, where his membership and assistance were highly prized. He had the honor of being the only life member of the Automobile Club of Utica.
Col Sanger married Mary Ethel Cleveland Dodge of New York February 23, 1892, who survives him, with the following children; William Cary Sanger, jr., Lillian Schuffelin Sanger, Mary Ethel Sanger and Richard Hardanger Sanger.
The funeral was held from Grace Church, Brooklyn Heights, N. Y. at 2 0'clock yesterday afternoon.
At the hour of the funeral a bell in the chimes tower at the Masonic Temple was tolled to his memory.

TOWER Family

2006-11-18T15:23:00.000-05:00

REUBEN TOWER

1829 - 1899

The deceased was born at the Tower homestead in this village on June 17th, 1829, being the youngest of seven sons born to Reuben Tower and Deborah Taylor Pearce, who settled in this village in 1808.

Built Masonic Temple bldg. in 1896
103’ tower
9 bells; eight by Meneely of Troy

Reuben Tower, father of the subject of this sketch, was born at Rutland, Mass., February 15, 1787. He married Deborah Taylor Pearce, of Little Compton, Rhode Island, February 15, 1808, at Paris, Oneida, county, N. Y., and settled in Sangerfield, Oneida county, N. Y. He died at St. Augustine, Florida, March 14, 1832.

His business was that of a general merchant, and his life was marked by an interest in all concerns of public welfare and the development of his adopted State, especially in the projection and completion of the Chenango Canal. He was an honorable and able member of the New York Legislature.

His family embraced eight children, of whom the eldest was Charlemagne, a graduate of Harvard College in the Class of 1830, and a distinguished lawyer and capitalist of Philadelphia.

CHARLEMAGNE TOWER – The Iron Millionaire

began test pitting in June 1882 on land owned by Charlemagne Tower who purchased 17,000 acres of valuable mining land at around $40,000. Progress was slow because the miners had only hand drills to use, and they had plenty of lumber for building but there were no nails. Supplies were often delayed because the Vermilion Trail could not accommodate large horse teams and supplies were carried on foot in packsacks. Supplies were also difficult to come by because Tower was reluctant to pay expenses and he needed the constant prodding of George C. Stone.

In December 1882 the Minnesota Iron Mining Company was formed and Tower became President, with George C. Stone as general manager; Edward Breitung was Vice President; Charlemagne Tower, Jr. as Treasurer; and Thomas L. Blood as Secretary (Stone's son-in-law). Jack Armstrong was hired as the mine manager, and Captain Sandy McMaster? became his assistant.

During the months that followed the forming of the company, Charlemagne Tower and George Stone manipulated events to build a railroad from the Soudan mine to Lake Superior. Ultimately, Tower managed to obtain the charter to the defunct Duluth and Iron Range Railroad Company and 600,000 acres of free land. The construction of the railroad began in the summer of 1883. The mining engineer, Franklin Prince, arrived in Soudan in the fall of 1883.

HOUSE:
East Wing – Federal Period – c. 1800
Central portion – Greek Revival – built in 1830 by Reuben Tower
West Wing – Federal – added by Charlemagne II in 1910.

The Brunswick

2006-11-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

The Brunswick
(from the Waterville Times dated February 11, 1875)

A New Hotel in Waterville
A Brief Description Thereof

Waterville, for many years past favored with (indecipherable) most pleasant, most wealthy, and most beautiful village of its size in the State, is now taking rank among the most enterprising. Improvements are rapidly springing up on all sides, and especially since the railroad has been laid through her limits---which act many argued would "kill" the village---has many important and pleasing improvements been made, mainly of a character which not alone benefits individuals, but the entire community as well. Churches, schools, business blocks, fine dwellings, a jail, engine house,
public halls, etc. , have sprung up , and today we are known abroad as the most prosperous of our numbers in Central New York. Our village will ever owe a debt of gratitude to those liberal and public spirited gentlemen who have brought about the result, and we are pleased to note that our citizens, on and all, without regard to creed or class, are daily evincing a more lively interest in the things pertaining to the advancement and welfare of our institutions, both public and private. The latest strode if enterprise that has manifested itself in our midst is the erection of

THE BRUNSWICK

By Messrs. P. S. Squier, M. L. Conger and F. B. Foote, gentlemen too well and favorably known by all our citizens to need an introduction. They recently conceived the idea that a boarding house or hotel for the accommodation, more especially, of those from our large cities, who, during the summer months, are pleased to spend more or less time in rural districts, would prove, if not a paying investment on the start, a decided benefit to the community, and to all residing within our borders. Possessing the most favorable site for such an establishment, they concluded to make the experiment. Those of our citizens who have acquainted themselves with the project so far as perfected have expressed themselves surprised at the completeness of the establishment provided for this purpose, but as comparatively few of our own people are aware of what has been accomplished, we purpose this week to give a brief description of the building, announce the intentions of its proprietors, and make a few practical suggestions which we hope will be favorably received by our readers. First,

THE LOCATION

of the "Brunswick"(such being the title bestowed upon the new hotel by its proprietors) is all that could be desired for an edifice of its description. It is as near the central portion of the village as a desirable site could be obtained, just opposite of and facing the park, and from all sides commands a splendid view of the hills and dales dotting the country for miles around. It is also healthy pleasant, and but a few moments walk from the depot, telegraph office, post-office, and business blocks, and therefore easily accessible.

THE EDIFICE

itself, although presenting a very modest appearance outwardly, is within, the most complete in all that pertains to the comfort and pleasure of its occupants, of any establishment of its kind within our knowledge. The dimensions of the upright are 66 x 35 feet, with a wing 26 x 30 feet; three stories high, with elevated ceilings, which are being handsomely frescoed by the master workman, P, D. Walcott of New Jersey, It has a piazza or balcony extending nearly around the building on both first and second floors, accessible from several points, which will prove a source of such pleasure to the guests of the house. The building comprises

THIRTY SEPARATE APARTMENTS

in all, not including several spacious halls, with bath rooms, and water privileges both hot and cold, extending throughout the entire house. Beginning at

THE BASEMENT

we find a splendid cellar kitchen, provided with a never failing well of water, a Warren range, and every convenience for the culinary department of a first class hotel. Two large Pearl furnaces are also here, placed in position by means of which the entire building can be rendered decidedly comfortable during the coldest of weather.

ON THE FIRST FLOOR

are two elegant front parlors, 18 x 27 feet each, designed for the use of guests at all times. There are also two complete suites of rooms, furnished with hot and cold water, bath rooms etc. The dining room, also on this floor, is large, airy, well lighted, and easy of access. The house throughout will be furnished in the most modern style in every particular.
The building is arranged for gas fixtures throughout, and as negotiations are now being carried on with the view of erecting gas works in our village, it is safe to conjecture that eventually every apartment will be

LIGHTED WITH GAS

Early in the Spring the new office, now occupied by Squier, Conger & Co. on Sanger street, will be moved on to the Brunswick site and a portion thereof fitted up as

A READING ROOM

for the accommodation of guests. Mr. Henry C. Ireland will be proprietor of the Brunswick, and we doubt not will give entire satisfaction to all its patrons. The house will be thrown open to the public on or about May 1st, and we expect to see every apartment occupied long before the season expires.

THE CARPENTER WORK

was performed under the immediate supervision of Mr. M. V. Woodcock, master builder, from plans and specifications furnished by A. R. Cady & Sons (indecipherable) great credit upon both architect sand builder.

THE MASON WORK

was performed by Messrs. Burgett & Taft, of our village, whose reputations as manipulators of the "trowel" is not surpassed at home or abroad.

PLUMBING

The plumbing, gas fitting and roofing was done by Messrs. Brown & Jones of our village, who spared no pains or expense to secure the best workmen the country afforded, and competent judges pronounce it as good job if not the best, that ever has come under their inspection.

A MISTAKEN IDEA

It has been intimated by some that this new enterprise will be likely to work a detriment to the other hotels of the place: but this is a mistaken idea, for taking other localities as a criterion, it will prove a help to every branch of business in the village, instead of a detriment to any. Some are not over sanguine as to the success of the enterprise, but is confidently asserted by those fully conversant with the working of such institutions, that a house in our beautiful village with treble the capacity of the "Brunswick" would not fail in being well supported, as parties who leave large cities during the heated term

FOR REST AND RECREATION

are becoming sensibly aware of the fact that their health or happiness is not enhanced by visiting the popular resorts known as watering places, where the crow, noise, and inconveniences are still greater that at home.

SUGGESTIONS

And now for the still further improvement of that portion of the village, we have a suggestion to make, which, if carried out, would greatly enhance the value of property in that locality, and add much to the appearance of Sanger, Madison and Brunswick streets. It is to remove the fence now surrounding the park, and lay out broad, tasty walks in various directions, that citizens of the village and guests of the Brunswick may have a pleasant and attractive promenade for evening or afternoon enjoyment. As the park now stands, no one ever thinks of visiting it; in fact, if the youth of our village are caught inside its fences in the summer season, they are driven therefrom, for fear they will trample down the grass. We say, remove the fences, lay out tasty walks, keep the trees will trimmed and the lawns mowed close, and this beautiful triangle will be used as a park instead as of private property. We have no doubt that Messrs. Squire, Conger & Co. would be willing to do the greater portion of the labor themselves, but in our opinion that the residents of Waterville should each and all do their share towards rendering this park attractive and useful, instead of desiring to keep it idle, as in the past. Let the question be agitated and have no doubt all will see the propriety of such actions. More anon

............

The following is a letter sent to the blogger by Mr. David Sullivan, the current owner of the "Brunswick," on January 2, 2007. He asked me to post it as a "comment," but I think it's important enough to add to the upfront history of the building.

Thanks, Dave!

The Brunswick rehab by Dave Sullivan

I have been in contact with the previous owner for at least ten years. We discussed my interest in purchasing the property many times. Finally in September of 05 we made a deal. At this point the building was in terrible disrepair. Only two of the eight apartments were occupied. The roof was leaking through all the floors which made most apartments inhabitable. It is my opinion that two more years of neglect and the building would not have been worth saving due to water damage. On October 1st 05 the demo began. All eight apartment layouts are basically as there were. All apartments were totally rebuilt with new plumbing electric, heating, kitchens, bathrooms, flooring, windows etc. Each apartment has its own furnace and water heater with separate gas and electric meters for each apt. The foyer is preserved in its original condition with the open stairway, tin ceiling, and hardwood floor, gas chandelier converted to electric and original front door. Each apt. is modern décor the structure is very sound and should stand many more years. When we stripped the building of the plaster and lath I thought some old coins or something would be found/ however no luck, not one old artifact was found. The outside of the building was sided with asbestos siding that was removed and replaced with vinyl siding. Due to economics and safety reasons all windows were shortened to 5 feet in height, this took away from the original look of the building. The safety reason was that the windowsills were to low which made it easy for someone to fall out. So the sill had to be raised. The economic reason is heat loss with large windows. The tenants have to be able to afford to heat the apts. I would have preferred to do a more historical restoration however this would have pushed the cost of the project way over budget. The last apt. will be finished on 1-15-07 all apts. Are currently occupied. This was a nice project to undertake. I am very proud of the end results and my wife and I may move there some day. Any comments would be appreciated. Thank you Dave Sullivan

Reuben Tower's Obituary

2006-11-18T14:29:00.000-05:00

Obituary of Reuben Tower
(Waterville Times Sept. 1, 1899 )
(Extracted by Stephen Gates)

Just before 6 o’clock on Wednesday afternoon Mr. Reuben Tower passed away at his home on Sanger Street. He had suffered several strokes of apoplexy, the last one a few days ago leaving him unconscious in which condition he continued until his death. He had been in failing health for the past year or more, his first trouble being the loss of his eyesight, now believed to have been caused by a slight stroke. At that time he had the use of only one eye, the other having been blind from a cataract for more than twenty years. It was found impossible to restore the sight of the one last afflicted but a successful operation was performed on the other and once more he was permitted to see. Later he suffered from other afflictions and although he procured the best medical skill it could be seen that his former strong constitution was being undermined until eventually he was so weakened he could not withstand another shock and death claimed him.
The deceased had been a familiar figure in this community for a generation and during his long and active career has had much to do with the affairs of town and village. The results of his endeavors in different directions will long stand as monuments to his energy and persistent purpose. As President of the village he believed in making public improvements and accomplished much that has made our village more beautiful. Not without opposition did he carry out his ideas but his force of character and tenacity of purpose surmounted all other facts and at this day it is acknowledged that his work resulted in permanent benefits and decided improvements. For many years he managed his brother's estate here and had unlimited means at his command to improve the same. Several large and commodious barns, a reservoir and complete water system, stone walks and handsome fences all kept in the best of repair are the result of Mr. Tower’s activity to accomplish which a large force of men was kept at work and many thousands of dollars were paid out which contributed to the prosperity of the village. On his own property he showed the same desire for improvement and was constantly making repairs and changes. When he transferred his apartments from the farm on Tower avenue to the present home it was into a plain building that he moved but he has made it a striking looking structure, on of its latest additions being a bell tower on hundred feet high in which is a chime of ten bells and one of the best clocks that could be procured. This piece of mechanism, in conjuncture with the different bells, plays the Westminster on the hour and quarters, besides making the regular strokes that indicate the hour. Mr. Tower has taken much pride in this clock and the chimes and they are objects of interest to visitors in town. In addition to the chime of bells he also has in the tower the first bell ever brought to Waterville which for many years was used in the old Baptist church. The interior of Mr. Tower’s late home is handsomely finished and furnished and with the many antiquities, curios, rugs, skins and old clocks it has always been a most interesting place. It was here that Mr. Tower received his friends and, seated before a large fireplace, which was his special delight, with blazing birch logs on the andirons, he was a most genial companion and entertaining host. He kept abreast of the times, possessed a fund of information most subjects and his opinions were always interesting. He had a keen sense of humor and was ever ready with a witty story or anecdote to illustrate his point and no one appreciated or laughed harder a a joke than he.

Mr. Tower was a man of firm opinions and strong prejudices and could not do too much for those he liked but was quick to resent real or fancied slights. He was most charitably inclined and has aided many poor persons and assisted generously in worthy causes. the Waterville Military Band was always his special pride and it has received from him many contributions in times of need. No subscription paper was considered complete without Reuben Towers signature and very seldom was the one taking it to him turned away.

Besides being repeatedly elected president of the village, Mr. Tower served several terms as supervisor of the town, being elected on the democratic ticket. He took a foremost position in the deliberations of the board and was regarded as a safe, wise and careful guardian of the interest of the county and town.
The deceased was born at the Tower homestead in this village on June 17th, 1829, being the youngest of seven sons born to Reuben Tower and Deborah Taylor Pearce, who settled in this village in 1808. He was educated at Oxford Academy, and at Phillips Academy at Exeter, N. H. and entered Harvard College but was obliged to discontinue his course during his sophomore year on account of his illness. Since then he has devoted himself to agricultural pursuits, the breeding of blooded horses and to the duties which his public position entailed upon him.
He was never married and was the last of eight children. He leaves many relatives however, consisting of cousins, nephews and nieces and grandnephews and grandnieces. His only first cousins living are James, Henry and Charles Rowell. Four families are represented here at present: Mrs. Earl B. Putnam, Lawrence Phelps Tower, son of his brother Fayette whose family have lived at the Tower homestead in this village for two summers; Mrs. James D. Peterson, daughter of his brother Francis Marion, whom Mr. Tower sent for when he was taken ill; Mrs. Stephen D. Conklin and Miss. Page, daughters of his only sister.
The following are his other nieces and nephews; Scott, son of Julius; Mrs. James Allen, Mrs. Frank Waterman and Mrs. Walter Wilmot, daughters of Marion; Frank, DeWitt, Blanche and Arthur, children of DeWitt Clinton; Mrs. Richard M. Janney, Mrs. Thomas A. Reilly, Mrs. George W. Werty and Hon. Charlemagne Tower, United States Ambassador to Russia, children of Charlemagne.
The funeral will be held from Mr. Towers late home on Sanger street at 2:30 p.m. Sunday to which his friends are invited.